Nightingale
by BVB Army 2 Forever
Summary: With nothing left to his name, Kurt is taken in by a mysterious group of people, one of whom won't even show his face. Because of this new situation, Kurt unexpectedly comes across the strange boy he had loved as a child, in the most unfortunate circumstance.
1. Hold Back the River

Author's note: Hello there! For those of you who have followed me from my Out series, I want to inform you that this is a completely different story. This also isn't the superman fic, S, that I have been working on. I am about halfway through that story, but have decided not to publish it until I'm finished with it. This is a completely different fic that I've told none of you about. A few weeks ago, I received an email from one of my wonderful readers, who always puts a smile on my face, about writing an action/spy fic with Glee characters in the Charlie's Angels universe. At first, I thought that she was crazy. I even warned her that I rarely, if ever, watch/read crime or action, but she was persistent. So, I watched the Charlie's Angels movies, which, until she approached about them, I wasn't even sure what they were about. But, instantly, I had this idea that I had to put into words, so here it is! After working out a few details with the reader who approached me, klainefever2.0, I have come up with this. This story will not have any of the Charlie Angel's characters, and will only contain elements from the movies, and will be so weighed down by gushy romance that it will probably disappoint many of you avid crime/action enthusiasts. But, I hope you like it, anyway, because I certainly do. And, needless to say, I want to sincerely thank klainefever2.0 for introducing me to this story, because, without her, I wouldn't have this. It was very flattering and humbling to be prompted to write a story, as that's never happened before. And I hope all of you, whether new readers who have just clicked on this story, or readers who have followed me through my Out series, know how much I appreciate you. Please, leave klainefever2.0 and me your reviews, suggestions, or questions! This story will also be posted on my scarves&coffee account, BVB Army 7 Forever, whenever I get to a computer that likes that website. If you'd like to, you can go to my other stories, the Out series, which start on the story, Out. They are about bully!straight!Blaine, and his life as he falls for Kurt. However, they do contain darker themes than this story will, such as rape, emotional and physical abuse, child abuse, suicide, drug abuse, and etcetera. But, enjoy this story for now!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or Charlie's Angels.

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Kurt stretched his arms out like wings, his fingers curling around the moonlight as if he meant to capture it. Tipping his head back, he savored the nippy winds that tangled like braids around his middle, twining through his long legs. This was what he loved most, those few seconds when he stood, suspended by the tips of his toes on the edge of a towering building. And when he let himself fall back, he burst into maniacal laughter, as if he somehow drew pleasure from tumbling out of his safety net.

If he could fly, he imagined that this would be what it felt like. But then he remembered that he was plummeting like a rock, and slowly slid his hand over his shoulder, pulling a latch on his knapsack that released a tarp-like blanket, which briefly coiled around his body, before billowing like a fluffed pillow and shooting him upward.

Trapped in the wind, he gently swayed to the ground, with the grace of a flaky, crisp leaf. Opening his eyes, Kurt put his feet in front of him and landed on them, as silent as a stalking cat. He instantly crouched to the ground, unhooking himself from his parachute and leaving it behind as he snuck toward the opened window of the brick building. Poking his nose over the sill, he scoffed at the sight of his stepbrother and best friend, the latter pulling at his cushioned tush, having found nothing better to do with his time while Kurt was on the roof. Kurt tapped his knuckles on the glass, hissing for both of them to come over.

Finn was the first one to glance up, and he punched Puck's arm, gaining his attention as he kept prying at his disguise. In order to distract a roomful of drunken men—the product of an expensive party hosted by a white-collared man and his wife—the two of them had donned themselves in gaudy dresses and lipsticks, and then hid in shame behind the protection of fans, which kept searching eyes at bay. Tossing aside his fan, Finn stomped over to Kurt, his pacing and swinging arms anything but ladylike. Even though his brother seemed to have no problem with being noisy, Kurt still kept his voice low, his eyes constantly sweeping the area. "The generators are off."

Smiling from ear to ear at his little brother, Finn scrubbed his hair, although he knew that Kurt didn't like that. "Good job, Kurt. It's time to go home."

Kurt held up one finger, "Before I'm seen with you in public… here." Opening his bag, Kurt dug through it for a tissue, and he wiped the smeared and fading lipstick stains from Finn's mouth. "That wasn't your color. You're more of a coral pink."

Finn laughed, "I'll keep that in mind. This won't be the last time that I put on a dress."

As Finn pushed himself through the window and landed on the other side, Puck walked over to them, making a face as he picked his underwear out of his butt cheeks. "Next time, _I'm_ picking the dresses. This one is riding up, and it makes my butt look huge!" Hopping through the window, Puck went around to Kurt's other side and slid his arm around his waist. "Let's get back. I've fought off enough sexually conflicted men for one day."

Piling into the back of Puck's bulky and rumbling truck, Kurt propped his elbow up and stared out the foggy window. Comforted by the sounds of Puck and Finn's voices in front of him, Kurt let himself zone out, a luxury he was rarely afforded. For the past few years, Finn and Puck had been the only family Kurt had, after the death of both of his parents, and his stepmom.

When he was quite young, he'd lost his mom, Elizabeth, to a grueling cancer, which drew itself out two years longer than it should have, and had inched near the line of being torturous when his mom had finally passed, a skeleton of the beautiful, slender woman she had once been, with her porcelain skin and bright eyes. Kurt was glad that he couldn't remember much of the experience, as he'd only seen one picture of his mom when she was about six months out of her chemo treatments. In the picture, her sparkly, blue eyes, clearer than a summer lake, were swollen and gray, and her thick, brown hair was shedding in clumps. Her pouty, pink lips were thin, cracked lines, sucked between her teeth. A much smaller version of himself had been clinging to his mom's neck, his face solemn, as if he knew what was going to happen to his mom, when no one had even explained it to him.

Six years later, his dad, Burt, had passed away. Kurt was only fourteen years old when his dad had collapsed in his car shop, his face frozen in that look of shock he must have taken on as his chest seized up. The customer he'd been working with instantly called an ambulance, and then knocked frantically on the garage door, getting Kurt to come upstairs to see what all of the raucous was about. Two days later, his dad was dead. His newlywed wife, Carole, had suffered intensely from losing not one husband, but two. Kurt, who had been sitting with his dad and holding his hand as he took his last breaths, had gotten up the strength to call Carole, who had been at one of Finn's football games. Upon learning the news of her husband's passing, she hadn't stopped her car, but had continued on, even with her eyes squinted up as tears drenched her face. Unaware of what was in front of her, Carole had lost control of the car that she hadn't realized started drifting into the oncoming lane. To avoid killing the unfortunate people in the car that had veered off just in time to prevent a collision, Carole had jerked her car off of the road, and wrapped it around a tree. She had died on impact.

With no family to provide for him or pay for his schooling, Finn had dropped out of McKinley days later. Because he was four years older than Kurt—an eighteen year old—he was able to leave the house without any problems from the government, which had tried to take Kurt. Kurt, who knew that he would go to an orphanage, had stood in his brother's bedroom, watching him fling clothes and body soap into a bag. Finn was going to leave with Puck, who had found out what Finn was doing, and followed suit with leaving school. Puck didn't have much of a family himself, and took this chance as a respite to get out of a household that didn't want him anymore. After he finished packing, Finn glanced up at Kurt, and his eyes softened. He paced over to Kurt, who held out his arms and wrapped them around Finn's middle. His brother had held him for a long time, rocking him back and forth, hushing him. "Hey… you're lucky. You have the chance to be adopted by another family. You'll be taken care of. Me… I don't have anywhere to go."

Kurt squished his face into Finn's chest, not understanding how he had pulled the lucky end of the stick. "But I don't want another family. I want my dad. I don't want you to leave. I'm scared. Finn, please don't go. Don't let them take me to an orphanage. What if nobody adopts me, and I'm all alone when I turn eighteen, anyway?"

It hadn't taken much convincing for Finn to lead Kurt down to his bedroom, where he helped Kurt to pack as lightly as he could, despite how Kurt grieved over the clothes he'd be leaving behind. On the day that he left with Puck, Kurt came with them, the three of them aimlessly wandering, not sure where they would go. Because Burt and Carole hadn't yet written wills, none of them got any of the family money, so they were only surviving off of the money in their pockets, which Finn and Puck had come up with from doing odd jobs. The three of them stayed in various places over the period of six months. The first was the house of a friend of Puck's, who had played on the football team with him and Finn. But they had quickly removed themselves when Kurt, having been put in the small bunker that was above the room of the three older guys, woke them up with his squealing, as the friend had, at some point during the night, climbed the ladder to reach him and had tried to grope him.

After Puck led Kurt off of the property, Finn had stayed inside for a few minutes, and when he came out, his knuckles were splashed with blood. Distraught, Kurt had gazed at him with round eyes, but they didn't speak of the incident, and started to move on again. Life was never simple for them, as they didn't come across a place that could be a permanent home for them. Kurt could tell that his presence only stressed out his brother and Puck all the more, but his brother especially. Finn had always been overprotective of his little brother, and only let them stay at places that looked appropriate for Kurt to be in, even if it was a free home for the night. His attitude toward Kurt had started up when Kurt had first entered high school, and bullies had circled him like vultures, sensing that he was gay—even if Kurt had never acted upon it. Finn just wanted a peaceful, secure home for Kurt, and Kurt knew this because he had seen Finn stay up at night, scrubbing his hair and looking hopelessly at a map of the city, at places they had never stayed before, or places they had been to, but hadn't worked out. To Finn, nothing less than the best for his little brother was good enough.

Just when Kurt thought that nothing good was ever going to happen to them, they'd stumbled across the strangest thing that any of them had ever seen. A boy, who didn't look much older than Finn or Puck, had come tumbling out of a bar that they had been walking by, carrying with them their slumped shoulders and lowered heads. The boy, who had later revealed himself to be twenty, had grabbed Puck's wrist, his chocolate eyes huge with wonder and curiosity. "Come here." He had said to them. "We don't have much time." The boy, Kurt had noticed, was arrayed in a tight, sparkling blue dress, and he carried a pair of blue high heels in his hand. A blond wig sat on his dark head. Pulling the three of them into a nearby alleyway, the boy had pushed his finger into Puck's chest, "You. Who are you?" He had nodded at Finn, "And you. What's your name?"

Finn and Puck had shared a look that spoke a thousand words, and then they smashed their lips together, refusing him. Unique had smirked cattily, as if he'd been expecting, and even looking forward to, some resistance. "My name is Unique. I need you to come with me—"

"Whoa, whoa." Finn had yanked his arm out of Unique's hand, "We're not going to just follow you. Who are you? What do you want from us?"

Unique had grinned from ear to ear, unfazed by Finn's distrust. "I've been watching you two for a few months. Homeless vagabonds… my favorite kind of people. You fight quite well… you know, when the small one is threatened." His eyes had flicked disinterestedly to Kurt. "I work for a man named Sebastian Smythe. But everybody calls him Sebastian. I'm his… oh, you could say I'm his assistant." Winking, he smirked when Puck and Finn grimaced, knowing what he was referring to, while Kurt was too young to comprehend what was so gross. "And I want you two to come with me. Sebastian is interested in letting you work for him. As a millionaire, he sees all of the crime that happens outside of the office. It's usually caused by petty jealousy among the richest of men—"

Puck gawked at him, "And why would we want to do Sebastian's dirty work?"

Unique's next words had cut straight to the point, "Because I have something that you want. I have protection for the small one… a place for him to live. It's one of the highest security buildings. You're not going to find anywhere that's better. The three of you could eat gourmet meals, and sleep on mattresses so thick that you'd need a ladder to climb onto them. _But_ you'd have to do whatever Sebastian says, when he says it. He can be a kind, generous man… but _don't_ get on his bad side. Are you coming with me or not? Sebastian is waiting for your arrival."

Finn had cautiously loaded Kurt into the white, shortened limo that Unique had parked behind the bar. As he held his hand on Kurt's back, Finn glared at Unique, who sat across from them, obliviously adjusting his wig and applying fresh lipstick. It took about a half hour to arrive at their destination, during which time Kurt cuddled his head onto his brother's shirt, gazing insecurely out the window, as they rolled out of the area that he had always been familiar with. "Ohio was the wisest decision of which place we should keep our headquarters." Unique conversed with them, trying to cut through the tense silence. "Nobody ever suspects Ohio."

Finn raised a brow, "And why is this Sebastian involved in white-collar crimes? And why doesn't he handle them himself?"

"Sebastian's father, whom he inherited the property and money from, did some perverse dealings during his day. Sebastian is merely dealing with the consequences. And Sebastian has never shown himself. He lives in the basement of the headquarters, and no one has ever seen his face."

"That's creepy." Puck commented, "Is something wrong with the guy? Is he ugly?"

"No one knows." Unique made a face at Puck, as if he were challenging him to cough out another rude comment. "Sebastian won't talk about why he stays down there. He communicates through a speaker. You will be speaking to him tonight."

Shaking his head, Finn had leaned heavily against the tinted window, his arm around Kurt tightening. "This is insane."

Ten minutes later, the limo rolled up to a large expanse of land that was sheltered by high, wiry gates. Guards, garbed in black suits, pointed guns at the ground, and when the car appeared, they all twisted their bodies and aimed at the limo. Finn suddenly grabbed Kurt and yanked him to his chest, but Unique shook his head. "There's nothing to worry about. They're trained to do that. They'll only shoot if they see a threat."

The person driving the limo, which had a partition going down the middle, did something to the gate to make it swing open. Unique settled back in his seat, scratching at his cuticle. "Everything on this property is activated by voice recognition. Fingerprints and facial scans can be reproduced with certain procedures, but voices are completely unique. Oh, and stay away from that fence. It's electrocuted."

The limo stopped on a concrete driveway that was curved around the front of a sprawling mansion. The outside of the building was made with reddish bricks, and had a number of windows dotting different rooms. There was nothing homely about the mansion, which had no greens in the yard, or flower cases under the windows. Rectangular doors, made of thick slabs of blackened wood, sat in the center of the building. Guards stood on either side of the door, and when Unique slid his legs out of the car, they lowered their guns. "At ease, men." Unique said, rubbing their shoulders as he passed by them, in nothing less than an openly flirtatious manner. "We have guests. Come along."

Finn helped Kurt out of the limo, keeping a hand at his front, so he could push him back if he needed to. Puck appeared at his other side, hands curled into thick fists. They trailed after Unique as he punched a number into a pad that had been stuck next to the door, and then spoke into it. After it beeped, the door unsealed itself from the wall and swung open. Finn yanked Kurt snugly to his side, his muscles so tight that Kurt could feel his veins pulsing through them. "I'm back, Sebastian. And I've brought them with me." Unique said lightly, pulling off his wig and flinging it onto a couch.

Suddenly, a faceless voice filtered into the room, and Puck snapped his head up, trying to find the source of it. From a speaker that had been hooked up in the corner, the voice said, "Excellent work, Unique. Welcome to my estate. Will you give me your names?" The voice, to Kurt's surprise, sounded quite young, as if a boy in his twenties was on the other side of that speaker.

Puck's eyes widened, and he looked at Unique accusingly, "What is this? This is the plot of every basic horror movie! Where is this guy?"

Unique stretched out across a couch, "Don't get yourself worked up. Like I said, Sebastian is right under your feet. Sebastian, this is Finn Hudson and Noah Puckerman. But he goes by Puck."

Finn pushed Kurt behind him, a place that Kurt felt much safer, as he looped his arms around his brother's middle. "How did you know our names? We didn't give them to you."

Unique smiled, "It's easy enough to get someone's name, provided you follow them around long enough. Sebastian, can I have three rooms prepared for them?"

"Three?" The voice questioned. "I had you bring in two men."

"There's a third." Unique corrected, his sharp eyes staring directly at Kurt's small face. "A little, angelic one, no more than fifteen years old. I believe he's the brother of the tall one with all of the questions. He's a mousey thing, with no muscle. He won't be of use to you, but he's the reason we got Puck and Finn to come here. They needed a safe place to keep him. They were desperate."

"Well, we could use all of the help we could get—"

"Absolutely not." Finn said shortly, his nostrils flaring. "I won't have my little brother involved in whatever schemes you get into—"

"We'll negotiate." Unique interrupted, giving Finn a nasty look, as if disagreeing with Sebastian was the worst crime he could have committed. "Sebastian, I'll be taking them to their rooms. This new situation has put them into cantankerous moods." Motioning for the three of them to tag along again, Unique said impatiently, "Keep up. You'll be receiving a maid once a day. We have butlers to assist you at all hours. The kitchen is always open. And don't worry about being noisy. The walls are soundproofed. _Completely._ They'll even block out banging beds." He whipped his head to the side, "Are you two gay for each other?"

Finn's mouth dropped open, "Excuse me?"

"It's just a question." He scowled. "Apparently not. And you…" Unique smirked at Kurt, who had returned to peering out from under Finn's arm like a spooked animal. "You won't be banging any beds until you look a little less like a baby penguin."

Covering Kurt's ears, Finn spluttered, "You can't just say something like that to him! He's fourteen years old!"

Unique disregarded the comment, and the four of them remained in silence as they took an elevator up three floors. Once the elevator stopped, Unique stepped out, and pointed down a hallway. "You three have the room down there. Oh… the system overheard your voices. You've been placed appropriately. The only one it hasn't recognized is you." Unique blinked at Kurt, who had yet to speak. "Say something, and I'll match you up in the system."

At Finn's nudge of encouragement, Kurt opened his mouth, and finally let his trembling voice come out. "My n-name is Kurt."

"Kurt, then." Unique said dismissively. He looked back up at the older men. "We'll talk in the morning. Again, welcome to the company."

Pressing a button, Unique stepped back onto the elevator. After he was gone, Finn pulled Kurt around to his front and rubbed his back, while Puck walked over to the doorway and pushed at the pad on the side of the door. Saying his name, Puck jerked back when the door suddenly opened. Finn stepped after Puck, "Be careful what you say. Our new boss may be listening. Is there a speaker?"

Finn walked into the room with Puck, who started pulling cushions off of the couches, and peering under the tables for any hidden speakers. "None that I can see. I think they allowed us this much privacy. But check out this room!" Throwing himself onto a couch, Puck sighed, "This couch is comfier than any of the beds I've slept on in the past three months."

The main space, which included a small kitchen and a living space for them to lounge and watch TV, appeared to branch off into five other rooms, one of which was revealed to be a bathroom after Finn carefully opened the door. The other four were bedrooms, all of which included a dresser, closet space, and another TV. Taking Kurt into the bedroom that was farthest from the main door, Finn turned on the light and sat him down on the bed.

"Sleep with one eye open, Puck." Finn warned his friend, who may or may not have already fallen asleep. Picking up Kurt's feet, he laid them across his lap and pulled off his sandals, even though Kurt was perfectly capable of doing that himself. Since their parents' deaths, Finn had taken on the role of the man of the house, and sometimes took it a step too far, by treating Kurt like a child. Too exhausted and nervous to remind him that he was fourteen, not four, Kurt let him get away with the unnecessary nurturing.

After Kurt was stripped down to his underwear, Finn laid him down on the bed and hovered over him, staring at him as he rubbed a thumb over Kurt's silky cheek. "It'll be okay." Finn whispered to him. "I won't let anything bad happen to you." Although he hadn't known Finn very well before they lost their parents, Kurt knew that his brother loved him, maybe even more than anything else. As soon as his mom had passed, Finn had broken up with his girlfriend and left everything else that was important to him behind, so he could devote his entire being to a scared and naïve Kurt, who didn't know much about the big, bad world. Finn had been Kurt's rock, and had once held Kurt, who had been crying about what had been taken from him, across his lap, whispering to him. "Shh… I'm still here, Kurt. I'm not going anywhere. We were our parents' whole world. Now you're my whole world. I love you so much, little brother."

Kurt blinked up at his older brother, who slowly lay down beside of him, just as Puck showed up in the doorway. Finn looked up at his best friend, who had become more of a brother to both of them. "I'm going to sleep in here tonight. There's something about this place that makes me uneasy. I want to be close to Kurt in case something happens."

Kurt clutched his brother's shoulder, "Finn, why can't I come with you and Puck to fight in these white-collar crimes?"

"Huh?" Finn, who must not have been expecting Kurt to speak, glimpsed over at him, brows puckered. "Oh… Kurt, I don't want you to get hurt, whatever these people have us doing. It sounds dangerous. You're too small and young to fight."

"But what if you were hurt? How would I know that you were okay if I weren't with you? You and Puck are all that I have, Finn. I want to help you."

Groaning, Finn shook his head from side to side, "I'll… I'll think about it, Kurt. This is happening very suddenly. Just… go to sleep for now. It will all make more sense in the morning." Kissing Kurt's forehead, he rolled to the side, muttering a few more things to Puck, who retreated from the room. Kurt stared at the back of his brother's head, and then shut his eyes, wishing for normalcy.

Bringing himself back to the present, Kurt stepped out of the car when his brother pulled on his wrist. Eleven years later, Kurt was now twenty five, and occasionally accompanied his brother and friend on their adventures. As time had passed, they had adjusted to the way of life of these white-collar criminals, and although Kurt—as well as Finn and Puck—was still on edge with Sebastian and Unique, who never let them get too close, they understood that they were being provided care. They probably could have left by now and sought out realistic jobs, but something had held them back—their enjoyment of the missions they were sent on, and the aftermath that they left behind as they watched a criminal's plans crumble under his feet. Although Kurt was never involved in the physical work, as his brother insisted that he was still too small and weak to fight, he used his thin stature to his advantage, and scaled the sides of buildings with ease, and even crawled through vents, even though his brother still grimaced about both of those tasks.

Kurt entered the mansion with Finn and Puck, the former saying, "Mr. Vernon's company has been shut down. The police will be seeing to him now."

"Excellent." Sebastian replied a second later, "Boys, you may want to take a seat. I have something for you to see. This mission, if you choose to accept it, will require some of your best, most efficient work. You've never dealt with a kidnapping before."

"Sebastian, I had to wear a dress tonight. I think I can handle anything." Puck said sardonically, as he twisted toward the large TV at the front of the room. "A kidnapping, huh? Let me guess… a multimillionaire pissed someone off, and they took revenge."

"I'm not sure." Sebastian said, his quiet voice expressing how confused he was about the situation. "The victim involved was Leighton Anderson, an important chief executive officer of a banking company. You boys won't have to travel far to get to this crime scene. The office is practically in our backyard. Here is a video clip of the kidnapping as it happened. For your information, the parking lot was empty before Mr. Anderson appeared. He had stayed late tonight."

A few seconds later, a grainy video popped onto the screen. It showed a section of the parking lot where a single car was parked. After a moment, a tall, slender man with a nearly unidentifiable face walked onto the screen. He had sleek, black hair, with gray streaks painted through it. He was dressed in an expensive suit, and carried a briefcase with him. As he unlocked his car, another car came tearing through the scene. Although the sound was muted, Kurt could tell that the moment was chaotic, with screeching tires and clashing metal, as the passenger door was thrown open. Leighton spun around, alarmed by the other car, and appeared to yelp as a blurry hand lashed out and grabbed the front of his shirt. He was pulled down, and forced into the car, which sped away once more. The only thing that remained on the ground was his briefcase.

The screen went black again, and Finn instantly started asking questions, "What's Mr. Anderson's history in business dealings? Is he liked by most everyone?"

"It would seem so." Sebastian said pathetically. Kurt could tell that it was bothering him that he didn't have a strong lead. "Mr. Anderson is fair to all of his clients. I've asked around, and no one has complained about him. And I can't understand why, if no one had any motivation to do it, he was kidnapped. He's rich, I assure you, but he's not the richest man a criminal can get his hands on."

Kurt, who had been resting his chin on his hand, suddenly lifted his head, "Wait… Leighton Anderson. The Anderson family… Oh!"

Puck swept his eyes over to Kurt, and he gently shook his shoulder, "Do you have something, Kurt?"

Kurt nodded, "Leighton Anderson… He has a son, doesn't he?"

"Give me a second." From Sebastian's end, he could be heard clicking, and then he spoke again. "Yes… two sons. Cooper Anderson… an actor who moved out to California more than twenty years ago. And Blaine Anderson, a thirty year old. It seems that he was estranged from his family several years ago. No job is listed."

"Blaine Anderson!" Puck slapped his knee, "I knew that name was familiar! Finn, he was in our class. He was a year older than us. I wondered whatever happened to him. After he graduated, no one ever spoke to him again."

Finn returned to the matter at hand, "Anyway, Sebastian, can you zoom in on the footage at all? Make out the face of the person in the car?"

"No. I've already tried. The windows are too dark." Sebastian made a frustrated noise. "I don't understand why there's only one car, though. And I can't tell how many people are inside of it. In kidnappings, there's always more than one car at the scene. It's for protection purposes. I had Unique drive out to the crime scene, while you were on the other case. He's going to poke around for evidence. Tomorrow, you can get started on this. There's nothing you can do tonight."

"Thanks, Sebastian." Finn stood up again and turned to Kurt and Puck. "Come on, both of you. We need a full night of rest if we're going to get Leighton Anderson out of this situation."

Going with Finn and Puck as they headed for their bedrooms, Kurt closed his eyes for a fleeting second, surrounding himself with the memory of Blaine's face. Blaine had been nineteen when Kurt met him, and had been a handsome, muscled man, with a tan face, and a pair of hazel eyes that were outlined by thick, black lashes, the same shade as his curly hair. Blaine hardly ever smiled while he was in school, but Kurt remembered his lips, thin and red, like the petals of a rose. Kurt smiled as he thought of Blaine, who was the closest thing that Kurt had to a friend while he was in school.

After he said goodnight to his brother and friend, Kurt shut himself into his bedroom and started to strip himself of his clothes. "Oh, Blaine…" he sighed, lowering onto his bed and slouching his shoulders. He unlatched his shoes and pulled them off, and rubbed at the sore pads of his feet. Blaine had been the strange kid in his school, as everyone, even Puck and Finn, liked to call him. Kurt had never had much of an opinion of him, having only seen him when he was walking by in the hallways. He just seemed like another face. Blaine didn't talk to anyone, and seemed unaffected by almost everything, even the bullies that had made Kurt's younger years close to miserable, had Finn and Puck not been there for him. As they barked after him and tried to provoke him, Blaine simply kept walking, not even making a face.

For a while, people wondered if he was deaf, and when Kurt had asked his brother, Finn had shaken his head. "No, he responds when the teachers call on him. He even has some of the highest grades out of all of the kids in my class." He had said lazily, as if he wasn't that invested in a conversation about a weird kid. "Stay away from him, Kurt. I don't like how they bully him, but there has to be a reason that he's been completely ostracized."

Kurt had never figured that reason out, and because of that, he hadn't been alarmed, or urged to push away from Blaine, when they'd nearly run into each other in the restroom. As Kurt turned away from the sink, he'd drawn back, surprised, by the sight of another body, just inches from him. "Oh!" Kurt had blushed, embarrassed about being so oblivious to other people. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you come in—" Looking up, Kurt had widened his eyes at Blaine, who was staring at him, but wouldn't speak. "Blaine?"

Suddenly, when Kurt reached out to touch his arm, Blaine had jerked back, his head lowering. As he rushed away, Kurt remained leaning against the sink, his eyes about to pop out of his head. "What was that?" He whispered, before grabbing his bag and leaving the restroom as well.

The next day, Kurt had taken notice of Blaine more often. After he weaved through a hallway that was swarming with older boys that had taken up the hobby of pushing Kurt and yelling names at him, he got to his locker, and saw that Blaine, whose locker was a few down from his, was standing at it, and rifling through it for his books. Smiling, Kurt had said above the noise, "Good morning. It's a beautiful day, huh?" Blaine's shoulders stiffened, and he tipped his head back, checking around, before his huge eyes fell onto Kurt. Kurt almost laughed at how startled he appeared that Kurt had spoken to him. "Blaine, how about we eat together at lunch today? Under the tree? It's too nice to not eat outside."

Blaine still didn't say anything to him. Kurt, who had never heard his voice, wondered if he even had one, and actually communicated with his teachers through sign language, or by writing on a notebook. And then Blaine had turned around and maneuvered through the crowd. This time, Kurt had simply grinned lopsidedly to himself, watching him go. Later that day, Kurt headed outside and plopped himself under the tree, soaking up its shade. He had brought a lunch bag and his homework with him. As he opened his notebook, he thought that Blaine might not show up, because he didn't want to be caught with a freshman. Kurt wondered what it was about speaking to Blaine that gave him the confidence to form full sentences. He wasn't like this with anyone else. Although Kurt wasn't made fun of for the same reasons that Blaine was, he still kept almost as much distance from everyone as Blaine did, with the exclusion of his brother and friend, Puck.

About five minutes later, Kurt had heard the sound of grass crunching, and raised his head. As he expected, Blaine appeared on the other side of a hill that was about fifteen feet away from the tree. Without a word to Kurt, Blaine flopped onto the hill, keeping a cautious eye on him, as if he feared that he might come closer. Finding Blaine's shyness endearing, Kurt had giggled, watching Blaine's face turn a deep red as he buried his nose in a book. Conversation suddenly wasn't necessary, as Blaine had said enough by just appearing, so Kurt had settled back into the tree, nibbling his lunch as he worked on English problems.

The next day went on very similarly. Because he had to get to his class early to meet with his group about their project, Kurt didn't see Blaine at his locker, but returned to the tree. He usually didn't eat there, and didn't know why he had come back. To his surprise, Blaine walked over the hill again, his face stoic as he stared at Kurt. Kurt quirked a brow at him, and Blaine swallowed, as if he needed to prepare himself to speak. "You weren't at your locker. I thought you hadn't come today."

Kurt had smiled from ear to ear, realizing that Blaine had appreciated that one kindness given to him, and was even so bold to expect it to become a daily routine. "I'm sorry." He said genuinely, as Blaine sank on the hill. "I'll greet you tomorrow morning." And that was all that was said between them.

The following day, Kurt got there five minutes early, and prepared himself for his classes, before he snuck around the corner. It only took about two minutes before Blaine separated himself from an oncoming herd of people. Biting back a burble of laughter, Kurt watched him open his locker, and then lean his head back, checking his surroundings for Kurt. Kurt didn't miss the frown that pulled his lips down. Creeping out when Blaine turned back to his locker, Kurt scampered over to him and playfully covered his eyes. "Boo!" He yipped, and pulled his hands away when Blaine started to turn. Blaine spent a few seconds looking at Kurt, and then his lips quivered as the corners of them flipped up. That was the first time that Blaine had smiled at Kurt.

Their friendship continued on in that quirky way for the rest of the year, neither of them saying much to the other as they met up at that tree and hill during lunch. They didn't ask for each other's numbers, and never talked after school. But Kurt was content with all that Blaine gave him, because he was happiest in those precious hours that he spent with his new friend. It wasn't until his dad and stepmom died that something changed between them. While his dad was in the hospital, Kurt took a few days off of school, needing to spend all of his attention on his dad. Sitting by his dad's bedside, Kurt silently wished that he had Blaine's number, so that he could text or call him. He wanted to hear his best friend's comforting words.

The day after his dad and Carole's deaths, Kurt had cried for Finn to give him one more day at McKinley. Although Finn had looked confused by Kurt's request, he hadn't been able to deny his little brother, and had reluctantly nodded. When Kurt got there, he didn't see Blaine at his locker, and worried that he wasn't in that day, and that he would never see him again. Kurt impatiently squirmed through his morning classes, not listening to his teachers, because there was no point. But when his lunch hour came, Kurt had run out to the tree, where, to his relief, Blaine was standing. "Blaine!" Kurt bellowed, bursting into tears as he threw himself at Blaine. Wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck, Kurt had buried his face in his shirt, feeling his arms lock around his waist. "Blaine, it's all changing. I'm leaving school tomorrow. W-We'll never see each other again. What will I do without you?"

Without giving Kurt any warning, Blaine had cupped his chin and tilted his head back. So close to Blaine that he could see a freckle that sat just under his eyebrow, Kurt had shut his eyes when Blaine pressed his mouth to his. His warm lips nudged at Kurt's, which he split open as Blaine slid his tongue out and pressed at the line between them. As Blaine kissed him, Kurt came to terms with what he'd been denying all along, and told Blaine, "I love you." Blaine hadn't said it back, but part of Kurt would always know that Blaine did.

Years later, Kurt came across Blaine in the most unusual way. At twenty one, Kurt was finally old enough, as Finn deemed him, to walk by himself through town. The only reason that he followed this rule was to avoid his brother's griping when he got back. Having gone out to retrieve a book to pass the boredom away, Kurt shuffled by his high school, and didn't take much of a look at it, simply because it looked the same as it always did—plain and ramshackle. But it was on his trip back from the bookstore that Kurt noticed something different. In the window of the office, there was a flutter of movement, and Kurt gasped as a full figure walked by, his silhouette outlined by the blinds.

Knowing that all of the staff was required to be out of the building by now, Kurt let his curiosity get the best of him, and approached the building. He reached behind him and opened his bag, slipping his book inside and pulling out his rope and grappling hook. Tying them together, he flung the hook up to the window and took hold of the rope when it caught. He planted one foot on the side of the building and let his other lift, as well. The rope tightened, supporting all of his weight, as Kurt started climbing. He'd done this a thousand times before, but he still felt breathless, floating above the ground. Using his abdomen for most of his strength, Kurt went higher and higher, and finally reached the window. He raised a hand and grabbed the sill, then put his other hand on the window and pushed, planting his feet firmly on the side of the building.

As he expected, his low security school still didn't lock their windows, and the window gave with a few more nudges. Falling forward, Kurt made a soft sound as he caught his balance, and when he lifted his head, he met a pair of large, golden eyes. Forgetting that he was hanging from a window, Kurt let out a gust of air, a brilliant smile pulling at his lips as his eyes became watery. " _Blaine._ " After a few years, Kurt would have figured that those childish feelings he had for the transparent Blaine would have faded away, but as Kurt looked at him, his heart constricted in a way that was more powerful than any feeling he'd had when he was young. Kicking his legs up in his urgency to get to Blaine, Kurt clawed at the windowsill, and inhaled sharply when Blaine finally came over to him.

Blaine wrapped his arms around the parts of Kurt that he could reach, and tugged him through the window. The two of them went toppling to the floor, Kurt landing in Blaine's lap as Blaine almost crashed into the desk. Unsure what had gotten into him, Kurt hooked his arms around Blaine's neck and kissed him, whimpering as Blaine lowered his arms to Kurt's waist and drew him closer. Desperately rubbing his mouth against Blaine's as if this would be the last time, Kurt finally pulled away when air became necessary, and he ran his hands over his chiseled face. Bubbles of tears slipped down his cheeks. "Blaine, I thought I would never see you again! What are you doing here?"

When Blaine didn't respond, Kurt finally tore his eyes away, and saw the bag of money that Blaine had taken from the treasurer's desk. Kurt looked back up at Blaine, and noticed, for the first time, the swelling, discolored skin that was spreading from a wide, red gash in Blaine's cheek. "Blaine… what? Are you stealing this money?"

Blaine shook his head, his own eyes filling with tears, "Please, Kurt. I don't have anything. I can't hold a steady job. I haven't worked in two months. My parents won't have anything to do with me. I need this money, or else I'll starve. I've never been this hungry, Kurt. I'm scared—"

Kurt had never heard Blaine say so much all at once, so he knew that the situation had to have been serious. "Shh…" Reaching into his bag, Kurt pulled out a pack of tissues, and blotted Blaine's sweaty face with one of them. "It'll be okay. Here… It's not much, but it'll help." He fished around in his wallet for a pile of cash and stuck it into Blaine's hand, before he continued searching in his bag for the bandages he always carried with him.

Blowing out heavily, Blaine sat on the heels of his hands, and looked at Kurt with a pair of concerned eyes. "You've changed." Kurt lifted his eyes to Blaine again, as he pressed the bandage onto the seeping wound.

Kurt blinked his wet eyes, giving Blaine a weepy smile, "Well, I'm not the child that I once was. I'm grown now."

"I see that." Reaching up, Blaine covered Kurt's hand with his own, holding it against his face. "Kurt… are you married now? O-Or seeing anyone?"

Kurt shook his head, "Only you." Blaine nodded at that, expressing that he had also stayed single, and Kurt leaned closer to him. The two of them kissed again, and then once more, before Blaine pulled back. Kurt sat down on his knees as Blaine brought himself upright, leaving as quickly as he could so no one caught him. "Blaine?" Kurt called after him, suddenly standing and hurrying to his side. He flung his arms around Blaine, pasting another smile onto his face as he tried to control his tears. "Blaine, one day you're going to ask me on a proper date, okay? I'm holding you to that. After our second date, you're going to propose to me. And then we're going to get married."

Blaine rested his forehead against Kurt's, "We're not going to see each other again."

Kurt let out a low sob, taking the hit hard as he realized that Blaine's words might be true. "Just nod your head." Nodding, Blaine smacked his lips to Kurt's, and Kurt whispered shakily, "I love you so much, Blaine."

Letting Blaine go as he hurried over to the door, Kurt wiped his blurry eyes. Blaine paused in the doorway, "Don't wait seven years to find me, okay?"

"Okay." Kurt's tears erupted out of him when Blaine disappeared around the doorway, and he was left by himself. He would have given Blaine his number, his address, his anything, if only he hadn't given all of that up when he went to live with Sebastian. Turning away, Kurt padded over to the window and slid his legs out. Just as he was about to start climbing down, he saw Blaine's dark form run into the inky blackness of an alleyway. "I'll never stop loving you." Kurt whispered to him, hoping his small voice carried to his ears. That was the first time Kurt had ever let a criminal go.


	2. In the Air Tonight

"None of this is coming together. Why isn't it? I've handled _dozens_ of kidnappings, all discreetly and quickly. Now, we have the police involved, and there are _no_ leads." Sebastian's voice griped over the speaker that was attached at Unique's hip, which was swung to the side as he stood outside of the yellow tape. "I want something to happen right now. Tell me what's happening over there. Is anyone doing _anything?_ "

Unique sighed and clicked a button on the side of the speaker to turn the volume down, "Sebastian, calm down. We've been on this case for less than twelve hours. We're doing all that we can." Plopping onto the hood of the limo, he cocked his head from side to side, as if looking at the crime scene from different angles would make something catch his eye.

A few feet away, Kurt stood beside of his brother, his body captured by the yellow tape. He idly traced his fingers over the dusty wall, as his eyes searched the area surrounding them. They'd been dawdling around the scene for a few hours, only pausing when the police briefly interrupted them, and nothing had come of it yet. Finn suddenly whipped back around to Unique and pointed at his thigh, "Sebastian, play the video clip on the laptop again. But slow it down."

"Finn, we've slowed the clip down a hundred times. The windows of the car are too dark to see inside, and the license plate doesn't even appear on the camera. The video clip is useless." Puck ranted, flinging his head back as he hopelessly wrung his hands, as if to scrub them clean of this mess.

Blowing out heavily, Kurt slid his butt off of the post he had been leaning against, and he made a soft sound as it jiggled so violently that it almost tipped over. He turned around and set his hands on the top of it, moving it around. He noticed that the pole had nearly been dislodged from the concrete. Knowing that a rascally teenager looking for trouble couldn't have caused such damage, Kurt squatted next to the pole. He briefly glanced up at his brother and Puck, who were reviewing the film once more, and debating whether or not a glint of the sun on the window was the eye or nose of the person inside. He returned his attention to the pole, scraping his fingers over the middle of it, which had a large, silvery gash taken out of the kitschy, yellow paint.

When he raised his eyes, he found himself staring at something that flashed, like metal or steel, and had flown over to a pit in the concrete, where a large truck must have dug out a pothole. "Hm?" Kurt stood up once more, and checked on his partners again, before he shuffled over to the palm-sized object. As he walked, he realized that his footsteps were on the trail left behind by a set of tires. And then he arrived in front of the item, which he picked up and examined through a pair of squinted eyes, before he opened his eyes wider. From all of the times that he had popped into the car shop to visit his dad, and had seen all of his dad's old friends, chuckling about how they had cars made thirty years ago, but didn't have the hearts to trade them in, Kurt knew exactly what he was holding. It was a piece of a muffler—the corner of it, to be exact—that had been torn off of a car that was most likely falling apart itself. The metal was rusted, and the edges of it were curling inward, like the gnarled hand of an old man.

Looking back at the area where Leighton Anderson had been taken from, Kurt imagined the car flying down the narrow slab of pavement, which sharply veered off to the right. The car, which was too frayed to react quickly to changes in speed, had lost control for only a few seconds, and had nicked the post, which had sent the piece of the muffler spiraling away. And then the driver had gained control of the situation once more, and had taken off. Having come up with that hypothesis, Kurt carried the shattered bit over to Finn and Puck, who were still involved in the camera footage. He tapped his brother's shoulder, "Finn? I found something."

Finn turned around, eyebrows quivering as they lowered curiously. Extending his hand, he dropped the fragment into Finn's palm, and let him examine it. Puck was the one to speak up, "That's part of a muffler. It's from an old car. It's been ripped off recently. The end that broke off is still sharp. Where did you find this, Kurt?"

Kurt pointed at the spot, "Over there." As Finn and Puck abandoned the computer in favor of snooping around the potential lead, Kurt explained what he had thought up, and watched his brother shake the post. "What does this mean, Finn?"

"I don't know, but this changes everything." Finn returned to the computer and threw himself down beside of Unique. "The person who took Leighton Anderson must have been poor. That doesn't make any sense. Unless he was trying to make a political statement, then—"

"That's not possible." Puck pointed out. "The only people allowed on the grounds have appointed identification."

"The rich men who work here." Unique clarified. "Or… they could be relatives of the people who work here." When Puck wrinkled his brows, Unique glimpsed up at him skeptically, "What, you think that Leighton Anderson has a poor relative who would want to take… I don't know, revenge for something? He has no parents… his dad died from a bad kidney more than thirty years ago. He's never known his mom. His wife divorced him years ago, but she has no reason to do something like this. She's married another billionaire. She wouldn't risk all of that over some petty feelings she had during her first marriage. His first son, Cooper, is going to inherit the company upon Leighton's retirement or death, whichever comes sooner—" He abruptly stopped speaking, and he snapped his eyes between Finn and Puck, who nodded. "Cooper is an extremely intelligent man. He would know that it would seem too suspicious to drive an expensive car through here. And he has the money to spare on a cheap car. Boys, I think we should pay a call to Cooper Anderson. This could be our first lead."

As Puck and Finn clapped each other's hands, they opened the back door of the limo. Finn propped one foot up, but then swung his head back to Kurt, who was hesitant about climbing in. "Come on, Kurt. You did well. What you found could solve this mission for us."

Frowning, Kurt drooped his head and puttered after Finn. "It's not Cooper, though." Kurt grumbled, his gut twisting as he was reminded of his lost love. "It's Blaine. But why?"

* * *

Twenty miles away, a man, perturbed but otherwise physically unscathed, rubbed his bound wrists up and down the back of a wooden chair. Splinters pricked his smooth skin—the skin of a businessman, who had only ever had to hold up a finger when he was slamming his youngest son into the wall, breath that he managed so well at his workplace with calming exercises hurtling into his wincing face. He slowed his hands down when an annoyed voice spoke closely to him, "Are you done scratching yet?"

Although his dad couldn't see him from behind his snug blindfold, Blaine lurked in the shadowy corners of his bedroom, where the sun, as it trickled through the tiny holes between the smudges of dirt on the window, just missed. Cloaked in a safe disguise of darkness, Blaine watched his dad rock back and forth in the chair. Despite how he used to wish for his dad to become as discomforted as he used to be when he was little, there was something distressing about seeing his powerful dad, who was one of the most manipulative men in the business world, strapped down to a chair. Leighton grunted, his body writhing around so frenziedly on the chair that it wobbled back and forth. "The police will arrest you."

Blaine didn't know what stung worse—the fact that his own dad didn't know the sound of his voice, or that he was right. If he were caught, he'd be sent to prison for the next thirty years, if not longer, with all of the strings that Leighton could pull on anyone who had a job and worked within fifty miles of his office. Blaine kept his voice emotionless, "You know why you're here."

Even with the bag on his head, Blaine knew that Leighton's brows had skyrocketed. "No, I don't. I don't even know who you are, or where I am."

"Another reason that I question why I'm helping you. Maybe I'm crazy." Blaine scratched the top of his head, "You should ask Cooper why you're here. Or… maybe you shouldn't, because he doesn't even know about the scandal that you've managed to dig yourself into." Sneaking out of the corner, Blaine prowled across the room like a panther. His dad stiffened as he became aware of Blaine's proximity. "You manage hundreds of acres of land. You're capable of shipping thousands of products to every country. You've given millions of people jobs. But your greatest talent has always been pissing people off, hasn't it? Or disappointing them. I know that some people in particular are disappointed that you're not dead."

Blaine knew that these last few statements were trivial. He'd just said them to satisfy his own pride, now that he was the one in control, and his dad was the runt who was quivering on a chair. Blaine's eyes became cold as he stared down at his dad, "One day, this bag is going to come off of your head. You're going to know who I am. You're going to have to acknowledge me, for once."

Leighton's neck prickled, and his lips curled up, "Are you sick? Do you take pleasure out of ruining my life, and talking down to me as if I'm lesser than you? I guarantee you that my little finger is worth _millions_ more than what your entire being will ever be."

Blaine rolled his eyes, "I don't take pleasure out of anything anymore, especially not being in the same vicinity as you." Tipping his head to the left at the sound of a shrill wail, he quickly whipped around to his dad when he realized that he had also made out the noise. When he started to speak, there was an inquisitive lilt to his voice. Blaine, not wanting there to be any prying when it came to his son, exhaled exasperatedly, and shuffled over to his dad. Without giving it any extra force, Blaine whacked the side of his hand across the back of his dad's neck, and watched his body slump forward.

Turning away from Leighton, Blaine walked over to the door of his bedroom, and then to his son's room, which was three feet away from his. After he shut the door to his bedroom so Gail couldn't see inside of it, he raised his hand to Gail's door, which had been painted a dark blue, and had been speckled in white paint, to entertain the phase of him desiring to know everything about space. Hearing his son snuffling and huffing within the room, Blaine pushed open the door and peered inside, finding his son with his cheek squished to the pillows and his butt pointed at the ceiling. He wore the poster face for a pouty child. Closing himself into Gail's room, Blaine paused to glance around, and groaned at the fact that his own child's bedroom was no more than a walk-in closet—albeit a small one—that he'd crammed a bed into, and then placed a bin beside, to hold all of his clothes, because they didn't have two closets. "Hi, little man. Shouldn't you be asleep, baby?"

Gail, his eight year old son, was the product of Blaine's desperation and a girl's horniness. Unable to grasp a job that could provide for him, Blaine had taken to whoring himself out. It had been a simple job. He memorized the steps, and took the money, like serving tables or ringing up groceries. That was until he took his first girl, out of his need for some extra cash, and his inability to pick up any guys at the local bar. Three months later, she'd bumped into him at the bar where they'd met, her stomach swollen with his child. At first, Blaine had been appalled, but then there was the night that he'd seen his baby as his baby, and not a part of her. He'd taken in the girl, only because he wanted to be part of his child's life, and had once gone into her bedroom as she slept. Sitting down by her bed, he'd pulled up her shirt and cautiously rubbed her reddened, round stomach. He'd hummed softly to the baby for a little while, and then smiled as he felt the first vibrate.

Ten hours into labor, the baby's mom had passed away from excessive straining, and labored breathing, because she'd been on so many drugs before Blaine demanded she stop taking them for the sake of the baby. But the baby had lived, to Blaine's relief, and now, they were here, and Blaine was wrapping his arms around the arch that Gail had contorted his body into. Patting his moon-dotted rump, Blaine chuckled as Gail crinkled up one eye, gazing across the room intently. "Daddy, the world is so much more interesting when it's filled with shadows. And 'specially when you look at it from upside down. Normally, that chair looks like a chair. But I see a giraffe."

"Do you?" Playing along with his son, Blaine cocked his head to the side, and grinned wider as he saw what his son saw. In Gail's presence, he wasn't a poor vagabond who had a man trapped in his bedroom. He was just a dad, and a happy one at that. "Is it an alien giraffe?"

Gail gave him a disappointed look, "A normal giraffe wouldn't survive in my room. There's no air in space."

"I understand." Blaine slowly straightened his son out and laid him on his stomach. Rubbing his back, he arched a brow at him, "Gail, why did you scream just a few minutes ago? Were you alright?"

Gail nodded, " _I_ was alright. The giraffe wasn't. Daddy, look at how alone the giraffe is. He's taught himself to com—" Coming across a word that was too difficult for him to spit out, he switched it, "To talk through sad cries. I was trying to tell him something."

Blaine's brows lowered as he bent closer to his son, "What was that, Gail?"

He vigorously shook his head, "I can't tell you, Daddy. The giraffe doesn't want me to."

Raising his legs onto Gail's bed, Blaine stretched them out until his feet dangled over the end, and he tucked his son into his side. "Gail, sweetheart—" Gail inconspicuously pointed his finger at the giraffe, mouthing that this was his problem, and not Gail's. Blaine sighed, turning his face toward the giraffe. He felt his son toy with the buttons on his shirt, his stubby, dimpled fingers grabbing handfuls of the material and stretching it out. "Giraffe, there's nothing that you or Gail can't tell me. If something's bothering you, you need to tell me. And I know that you only hear sad sounds, but it's time for you to listen to _me,_ okay? I love both of you so much, and it would hurt me if I thought that either of you weren't okay. Nothing, no matter what you say, could ever change that."

Gail suddenly poked his cheek, so Blaine looked down at him, eyes concerned. He leaned toward Gail when he cupped his tiny hands around his ear. "The giraffe wants you to know something, but he's scared that you'll be mad at him. Will you be mad, Daddy?" When Blaine shook his head, Gail sucked in a deep breath, and then let it out all at once, "Daddy, when we went to the library to get books, and you went to the bathroom, I saw this boy who was really pretty all the way across the room! He was getting books, too, but they weren't about astronauts! They were gushy love stories! Yuck! So, I got up from the table and followed him. When he was standing still, I snuck up behind him and reached into his bag. You won't believe what I found! It was a picture of you! And then he looked down at me, and I got scared, so I tried to run away. He sat down in front of me and asked if he could have his picture, and then he gave me a little toy, instead. He patted my head and kissed my cheek, and then told me to hurry back to whoever I belonged to."

Blaine didn't know what to discipline his son on first, so he simply let his mouth fall open, and do the talking itself. "Gail… what do you mean, he had a picture of me? And what toy did he give you? I've told you a hundred times, baby. Don't take things from strangers. Let me see it."

As Gail fished underneath his pillow, he said, "Daddy, it was a picture of you! I saw your face! And this is the toy. It's a doll." Holding up a small doll, Gail proudly petted her pigtails, a huge grin working its way onto his lips.

Blaine frowned deeply, taking the doll from his son. Years ago, he'd given this doll to Kurt, who had been elated by it, and had kissed him for it. He'd been whining that all his dad gave him were action figures, which he couldn't dress up or have tea parties with when he was a child, because they always looked so grouchy and were terrible company because of that. Had it been Kurt whom Gail had run after? Looking back up at Gail, Blaine was tempted to ask him about Kurt, but knew that would only encourage him to repeat his bad behavior. Instead, Blaine exhaled, and gave the doll back to Gail, who cuddled it into his chest. "Gail, you knew you weren't supposed to leave the table, or go after strangers, no matter how kind they look. This one time, you were lucky. But don't ever do it again, okay? What would Daddy ever do without his Gail, if someone took you from me? And don't steal, in any case. I know that I'm in the wrong when I do it, but sometimes we don't have a choice. I have to feed you. But don't start stealing, okay? It's bad. The people who are victimized by it get angry, and if someone caught you in the act, they might not treat you nicely. Do you understand, Gail?"

Casting his eyes down, Gail said softly, "Yes, Daddy. I'm sorry that I did bad things. You still love me, right?"

"Oh, honey… of course I do." Blaine clutched his son closer to his chest, which Gail started kneading like a content kitten. "I will always love you. You know that I have a soft spot for those big, hazel eyes of yours. I'll tell you what… in space, you can be as curious as you want to be. Talk to all of the aliens, if that's what would make you happy. But, here… you have to be safe, okay? I worry about my little man."

Nodding emphatically, Gail screwed up his face, "Daddy? I think I'm done being an astronaut. I think I'm going to be a dinosaur now. You wouldn't have to worry anymore, because everyone would be afraid of _me._ "

"But if you're a dinosaur, you won't be able to give me goodnight kisses anymore." Blaine said, pretending to be troubled.

Gail's eyes grew huge, "No, Daddy! I'm a good dinosaur! I don't eat Daddy." Grabbing Blaine's smiling face, Gail brought it down to him and pressed wet smooches onto both of his cheeks. Blaine laughed, wiping off the slobber as he lowered his son back onto the bed. As if on cue, a loud yawn burst out of Gail, who snuggled deeper into his thrumming chest. Blaine lay flat beside of his son, smoothing his wild curls, as he whispered for him to always be good, no matter who he was. It was a lesson that Blaine had forgotten, after all of his hardships had hardened him.

* * *

Late in the night, Kurt sat at his desk, phone pinned to his ear. He chewed his oval nails and glanced over his shoulder, as if Finn or Puck might have magically materialized into his room in the past two minutes. After the three others called Cooper, but with nothing to come of it but half-hearted answers and denials from him, Kurt had decided to take this mission on his own. If Blaine really was the criminal here, Kurt had to keep him from being suspected, even if it meant staking his privilege to stay at Sebastian's mansion. Hearing the ringing stop, Kurt widened his eyes as Cooper's voice filtered through the line, "Cooper Anderson."

Kurt almost forgot to speak, as he'd never done these calls on his own, and he flinched at the way he stammered. "Y-Yes, Cooper? This is Kurt Hummel, of Sebastian Smythe's company. Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all. Have more questions for me?" For talking about his dad's kidnapping, Cooper was surprisingly flippant.

He hesitantly replied, "Cooper, I was wondering if you could tell me anything about your brother, Blaine. H-His job… or location?"

It took Cooper a few moments to respond, but then he breathed out harshly, as if these were tough questions for him. "I don't know, Mr. Hummel. I haven't spoken to my brother in more than ten years. When my parents disowned him, he cut everyone off… even me. I wish I knew those answers. Why, do you think something's wrong with him? You don't suspect him, do you?"

"I'm just trying to cover all of my bases." Kurt said lamely, knowing that it would be a mistake to admit that he was Blaine's childhood sweetheart, and that he was trying to dust off his tracks. "Cooper… please, if you know anything about Blaine, can you tell me? Anything at all." He continued after a moment of silence, "I believe that you didn't do it. You didn't have any reason to. While you're going to inherit the company, you still have money of your own."

Again, Cooper didn't say anything immediately, so Kurt checked his phone to make sure the call hadn't cut off. Finally, he said quietly, "Kurt, I know who you are. You don't have to pretend like I don't. When he was younger, I was the only one who cared for my brother. I knew about everything that was happening to him. You think I wouldn't have gotten suspicious when he came home with a smile on his face on the day that he met you? I know what he meant to you. Whether you suspect him of kidnapping our dad or not, you're not trying to get him arrested, are you?"

Kurt's eyes filled with tears. "I k-know that Blaine isn't malicious. If he took Leighton, he's not doing it for any perverse reason. Something else is going on. I want to find him. I want to help him. I-I love him, Cooper, so much—"

"Here… do you have a pencil and paper? I want you to write something down. _But,_ this has to stay between us, alright? Don't use it against my brother. Don't put him in prison." Cooper rattled off the address of one of the most rundown apartment complexes in this region of Ohio. "My mom had to fly out there once to get something of hers that Blaine must have accidentally taken with him. I got the address from her. I haven't gotten out there yet because I… worry. He's made it clear that he doesn't want to see me. I don't want to push on walls that he built for a reason."

Kurt stared down at the address, wondering if Blaine was still living there, and if he could actually summon the courage to go after him. "Cooper, your brother loves you very much." He reminded him, his voice assured. "He used to talk about you… all wonderful things. You were… You were his only family member that he ever brought up to me. Thank you for… this. You don't know what this means to me."

"I think I do." Cooper gently murmured. "Good luck, Kurt. Please, keep calling me about my brother. I want to know how he's doing."

After Kurt agreed, he clicked out of the call, and set his phone aside. Gazing at the address, Kurt held his head in his hands, as tears pricked the corners of his eyes. It'd been four years since he'd last come across Blaine, and, no matter what they'd promised, things could have changed. Blaine was thirty now, and could have married someone else, or even brushed off his feelings for Kurt. Kurt should have been expecting this. No matter how small Ohio was, what were the chances of them ever meeting again? He felt pathetic, stuck in that childish fantasy he'd made up about Blaine eleven years ago.

Covering his mouth as a rough sob broke out of him, Kurt lowered his head to the desk and cried with abandon, shoulders shaking and eyes wrinkled at the corners. He squished his cheek to the cool wood, feeling all of the heat in his body gather in his head. "I'm so stupid. Why do I still love him so much?" Kurt whispered, and then pushed that thought to the back of his head as he planned to go see him in the morning, before Puck and Finn arose. This wasn't about Leighton Anderson anymore.

* * *

Blaine rested his elbows on the kitchen counter, listening to the popping of the eggs he'd just set of the stove. Lowering his head into his hands, he massaged his pounding temples. After the weekend was over, he'd be back at his job at the hardware store, stocking shelves for less pay than what he needed to not only feed himself and his son, pay rent on his apartment, and send Gail to the elementary school down the road, but also to feed his dad, who was still a prisoner in his bedroom. He sighed, "What am I doing?" Turning back to the eggs, he stirred them around the pan, and then turned his head at the sound of shuffling feet. He frowned at his son, who had risen from bed and was staggering into the kitchen, his shirt wrinkled at one side and showing his olive belly, and curls of his hair sticking up. He rubbed furiously at his eyes, so Blaine left the stove and squatted in front of him. "Hi, baby." He said softly, plucking Gail's hands away from his puffy face. "Did you smell breakfast?"

Gail held up his arms, a silent motion he made when he wanted to be held. Grabbing him around his butt and shoulders, Blaine scooped him up and leaned him against his hip, as he stood up and returned to the eggs. He pulled the pan off of the burner and watched the oil settle onto the bottom, steam rising off of it. Gail rested his head on his shoulder, "Daddy, can I tell you something else?"

Blaine instantly removed his hands from the pan, and he pulled Gail slightly away from him. He knew that tone of his voice, and that it never meant he would hear good things. "What is it, Gail?"

Slumping his shoulders, Gail mumbled so low that Blaine almost didn't hear him, "Daddy, the boys at school don't like me." Blaine's eyes softened at his son, who he knew was a little more like how he was during his childhood, and even while he was a teenager. He had never been interested in frivolous conversation, and had blurted such strange facts and questions that the other kids had started to avoid him. "This one boy pushed me down last week. I scraped my knee. I didn't want you to know because you worry, Daddy. He said I was weird because we don't have a lot of stuff, and because I don't have a mom. I almost started crying, but I didn't want my teacher to call you. Why don't I have a mom, Daddy, and why do we have to live in an apar—?" Gail stumbled on that last word.

"Gail…" Blaine said quietly, detaching his son from his shoulder and sitting him down on the counter. "Baby, you have to tell me when things like that happen as soon as they—" Jerking his head around at a scraping noise, he looked down the hallway, where he was keeping his dad. And then he twisted the other way, when someone rapped on his door. Blaine moved away from the counter, but quickly pointed at his son, "Stay there." Pacing out of the kitchen, Blaine silently mulled through his head, trying to remember when he had last paid the rent. He pulled the chain out of the lock, and then pried the door open, having to pull hard because it got stuck on a piece of the carpet that hadn't been glued down properly.

When he fully opened the door, his eyes became huge. Something inside of him ruptured at the sight of Kurt, who looked even more beautiful than he had at twenty one, with his hands demurely folded in front of him, and his chin down. He lifted his blue eyes to Blaine's face, and his plump lips parted, as if he intended to say something. But no sound came out. Blaine, too, couldn't make a noise, his eyes searching Kurt, as if to confirm that he was real. And then they came to a screeching halt on Kurt's left hand, which was pressed behind his right, making it impossible for Blaine to tell if a ring was on his finger. It wasn't until something grabbed Blaine's leg that either of them moved, both of them glancing down to see that Gail had wound his arms around Blaine, and was peering at their visitor. "Gail, I told you to—" Blaine grumbled, but was interrupted by Gail flinging his arms at Kurt.

"I know you!" Pawing at Kurt's dark leggings, Gail cried up at him. "You were at the library! You gave me a doll! Daddy, he came to see us!"

Something flickered in Kurt's eyes at what Gail had referred to him as, and then he smoothed that over. To Gail's surprise, Kurt smiled sweetly at him, and lowered to his knees, so he could meet Gail's wide gaze. "Hello, Gail. My name is Kurt. I suppose I never gave it to you at the library, did I?" Holding out his hand, he laughed when Gail stared at it, and then pinched one of his fingers, flipping it back and forth. "Shake my hand. It's a way to greet someone." Gail's eyes flitted up to Kurt's glimmering face, and he slid his hand into Kurt's, which moved them up and down. After Kurt let it go, Gail grinned proudly, his cheeks bubbling up. "I like your pajamas."

Gail looked down at them, placing his hands on his chest. "I was an astronaut yesterday! Today, I'm a dinosaur. But not a mean one! I don't eat people."

Kurt placed his hand over his heart, "What a relief! I was afraid of you for a moment!" Pulling his bag off of his shoulder, he held it in front of Gail, who started to peek into it, peeling aside one of the flaps. "Do you want to see something, Gail? This is a telescope." After he fished through his bag, Kurt showed him a small, black telescope, which Gail instantly started pushing in and out.

Blaine, who had finally shaken himself out of his speechlessness, bent down and tapped Gail's shoulder, "Be careful with that, Gail. Don't break it."

Kurt's smile widened, "Hold the smaller end up to your eye. You can see things that are far away. You can look at the stars, or you could find other dinosaurs. Or… if you're lucky, you'll even see an alien dinosaur."

Gail's mouth dropped open, "There are alien dinosaurs?"

Giving Gail a disappointed look, Kurt stuck his hands on his hips, "You've been an astronaut _and_ a dinosaur, and you've never heard of an alien dinosaur? I've seen plenty of them! You're just not looking close enough. Why don't you keep the telescope? If it's okay with your daddy, you can go outside tonight and look up at the sky."

When Gail whipped around with a gaping mouth and a pair of hungry eyes, Blaine smiled at him and waved him off. "You can do that tonight. Gail, honey, why don't you take your telescope into the kitchen and fix yourself a plate of eggs? Don't get distracted by the telescope. I want every bite of those eggs in your stomach. Go on, before the eggs get cold."

Without another word, Gail raced out of the room and skidded into the kitchen, sliding forward on his socks. After making sure that he had set his telescope aside and was feeding himself, Blaine turned back to Kurt, who he reached down to help off of the floor. Curling his fingers around Kurt's slender hand, Blaine twitched at the odd feeling that zapped up his arm and paralyzed him, so that he couldn't let go of Kurt. Every part of him was screaming for him not to. He held Kurt's hand between them, staring blankly at his emotionless face. All at once, Kurt's luscious mouth quivered, and he lunged at Blaine. Kurt curved his hand around Blaine's jaw as he firmly kissed him, their bodies aligning when Kurt drew closer to him. Rather than resist, Blaine clamped his arm around Kurt's middle, pushing Kurt backwards until he hit a wall.

Whimpering into Blaine's mouth, Kurt wrapped his arms around his neck and tilted his head, so that their noses didn't bump every time they rearranged their lips. They kissed each other frantically, until a clatter from the kitchen made Kurt pull back with a pop. He smacked his hand over his reddened mouth, "Blaine… I'm so sorry. I-I wasn't thinking. That wasn't appropriate—"

Blaine slowly reached out for Kurt, who breathed in sharply as he lassoed him around his waist once more. Drawing Kurt's wiry body against his stocky one, Blaine pressed him into his chest and folded his other arm around him. "I've missed you. You don't know how much I've needed to see you." Blaine thought he would be humiliated to have Kurt see the interior of his home, or be insecure to have Kurt around his son, but it all felt so natural, exposing all of this to Kurt's naturally kind demeanor.

Peeling off of Blaine, Kurt rested his hands on his shoulders, "Can we talk, Blaine?" Blaine nodded and drew Kurt over to his couch, which had been covered with dark, stained fabric that had been made over twenty years ago. They sat down beside of each other, hands clasped between their laps. Kurt, rubbing his finger over Blaine's calloused knuckles, started off by asking, "Have you married?"

Blaine shook his head, "No… Have you?"

Kurt turned his smiling eyes up to Blaine's face. Blaine frowned at the glitter of emotion he saw in them. "No… There's never been another. I suppose I could have dated, but I… I love you, Blaine… even now. But… what about Gail? He looks like you. He's handsome."

Sucking his lips in, Blaine finally felt pressure on the backs of his eyes, as he debated how to tell Kurt of the bad that he'd done. "Eight years ago, I was desperate for money. I was only ever with one woman."

Instead of looking horrified, or disgusted, Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand, "And… where is she now? Does she still speak with Gail?"

Blaine looked down, "She didn't make it through the birth. Gail's never known her."

"Oh, Blaine…" When Blaine's eyes flickered to Kurt's face, he saw that his eyes were drowning. "I'm sorry. And poor, little Gail. But… you had Gail when we… when you were at the school that one night. He was… four. Why didn't you tell me about him? Did you think… think that I wouldn't want to be with you anymore?"

Blaine's own eyes became wet at the corners. He helplessly shrugged, "I don't know. I don't think you'd want to be with me _now._ Look at me, Kurt. I live in a dump… I stock shelves at a hardware store. I've sold my body for money. And I have an eight year old kid. You don't want to have any part of this."

A bead of water dribbled down Kurt's flushed cheek, so Blaine raised his hand and caught it before it plopped onto his shirt, "When we were in school, it didn't matter to me that you didn't say much to me, and wouldn't even sit close to me. Now, it doesn't matter how much money you have. I love you more than anything… I always will. And… I'd be very grateful if you gave me the chance to get to know Gail. I think he's wonderful, Blaine. He's just like you… but maybe a little more talkative." Weepily smiling, Kurt suddenly looped his arms around his neck, and whispered into the side of it, "Please, tell me your feelings haven't changed."

"Nothing's changed." Blaine assured him, slipping his arms around his back and holding onto him. "Kurt, four years ago, you told me to ask you on a date when we saw each other again. If… If you still want that, we could go out sometime."

Kurt bobbed his head emphatically, "I would love to. What about Saturday?"

Blaine made a face, "I was thinking… a few weeks from now. I scheduled my hours at work to be at the same time that Gail is at school. I could call in, and get a day off in a couple of weeks. I don't know if I'd be able to find someone to watch him by Saturday."

"Why don't we take Gail with us?" Kurt suggested. "After all, if you and I are ever going to have a relationship, we'll need his approval of me. This isn't just about us anymore, Blaine. You have a child, and I want to make both of you happy." As if he had overheard them talking, Gail poked his nose around the corner, and Kurt smiled fondly at the boy. "Gail, can I ask you something?"

Gail, with his mouth full of the last helping of eggs, scampered over to Kurt, and held up his arms. Kurt laughingly picked him up and draped his over his lap. "Gail, I want to know how you would feel about me dating your daddy." Unfamiliar with the word, Gail scratched the top of his head, a gesture that Blaine made when he was confused. Kurt rephrased, "I mean… see him romantically. I love your daddy so much, but now that he has you, I could never be a part of his life if you didn't want me to be. But I would appreciate if you gave me the chance."

Gail glanced between the two of them, "If you were with my daddy, I would have two daddies?"

Blaine chuckled, "Only if we got married, little guy. Let's take things slow. Gail, the reason that I've never brought anyone else into your life is because I've been waiting for Kurt. Do you like Kurt? I think that he's beautiful and amazing." Watching Kurt's cheeks color, Blaine ran his fingers up and down the slope of his pale neck.

Grabbing Kurt's face, Gail pressed his lips to the tip of his nose, "He's pretty! When will you marry him, Daddy?"

Giggling, Kurt returned Gail's kiss with one of his own, "Thank you, Gail. How about, instead of getting married just yet, we go out this Saturday? Think hard, Gail. Where's the one place you've always wanted to go… besides space? What's something you've always wanted to do?"

"Daddy and I sometimes make our own ice cream cones, and then we walk to the park and have a picnic! Could we do that, Kurt?" He batted his eyes at Kurt, who nuzzled his small face.

Kurt's blue eyes rose to Blaine's face, which had, without his awareness, contorted into a large grin. Looking back down at Gail, Kurt playfully tickled his sides, drawing out loud screeches from his mouth. He kissed both of his cheeks, "We can do that, Gail! I'll bring over some supplies to make our ice cream. We can have sandwiches and fruits. Does that sound good, sweetheart?" He cuddled Gail into his chest, and then glanced up at Blaine, as the smile fell from his lips. "I should be going."

Blaine inclined his head toward Kurt, "Are you sure you can't stay? I just got you back. There's so much I want to ask you."

Kurt shook his head, "No… I live with my brother and a friend of his. They'd be concerned if I was away for too long. You'll see me on Saturday, Blaine. Ask me your questions then. That's what a date is for, anyway." Hoisting Gail off of his lap, he returned him to his dad, who wrapped the squirming child in his arms. He cupped Blaine's scratchy chin in his hand and kissed his dry mouth, coaxing a soft grunt out of his throat as Blaine deepened the kiss with a nudge. "I'll be here at noon, okay? I love you."

Blaine parted from Kurt, and then scooted Gail to the side, "Let me walk you out." Standing, he tangled his fingers through Kurt's, as Kurt told him that he would find his way out on his own, but appreciated the offer.

When they got to the door, Blaine leaned against it, watching Kurt with a pair of loving eyes. Kurt knelt in front of Gail again, when the boy skittered over to him. He hugged and kissed the child, promising he would return, and then smiled when Gail chirped, "Why don't you live with me and Daddy, Kurt?"

Kurt stroked the rambunctious child's curly head, "If we marry, I will someday."

Gail indignantly crossed his arms over his chest, "Well, get married faster."

Laughing, Kurt returned his attention to Blaine, who coiled his arms around his waist. Kurt ran his fingers over Blaine's jaw, "I have to go." He whispered faintly, as Blaine pressed more kisses to his lips. Kurt smiled at the ticklish feeling that Blaine gave him when he brushed his lips over a sensitive spot under his chin. "Blaine, really… I must be getting back."

"Mm… fine." Blaine finally retreated from Kurt, giving him enough space to breathe without being clouded by his cologne. Glimpsing back down at Gail when he tugged at his pants, he stroked a piece of hair off of his face, "Is it really okay if he takes that telescope? He might damage it… or drool on it, or something."

"Of course." Kurt said cheerfully. "He'll enjoy it more than I do."

Blaine raised his brows, "On our date, I'm going to ask you why you have a telescope. For some reason, I get the feeling that you're not an avid birdwatcher. And how you found out where I live. And about the last time we saw each other… how you came in through a window."

Kurt's upturned lips wavered, and he gave Blaine another kiss, "I'll see you on Saturday." Waving one last time at both of them, Kurt padded through the doorway, and Blaine shut it behind him, after he watched him sway down the hall.

Once all traces of him were gone, Blaine squatted in front of his son, "What are you thinking, little guy?" Without giving Blaine a warning, Gail belched noisily, his breath reeking of egg. Blaine glowered at him in disgust, "Charming. I think we both need to take a lesson in date etiquette."

Gail threw his hands into the air, "I held it in until he left!"

Rolling his eyes, Blaine stood up once more, "You're gross." He kicked his foot across Gail's tush, "Go to the bathroom. Brush your teeth. You smell like egg."


	3. Fire Meet Gasoline

Kurt spent his Friday evening cooped up in the basement of the mansion, in the portion of it that wasn't closed off by Sebastian's partition, which he kept up to separate himself from the rest of them. Through the thin fabric, Kurt could see his lean shadow moving around. His hand was the only thing that he let slide out from behind the partition, and he rested it on Unique's thigh. Unique was sitting beside of his closeted area, his head leaning on the wall, as he placed his hand over Sebastian's, which was rubbing up and down his plump thigh. Over the years, Kurt had noticed that Unique was at his calmest when he was near Sebastian, none of his coarse walls coming up, as he fought to defend himself by speaking without a filter or scoffing at anyone else's presence.

Lounging on the couch across the room, Kurt idly watched his brother and Puck, who had been bantering over possible scenarios of what could have happened to Leighton Anderson. Kurt looked down again, picking at the seams in the couch, as he thought about what he was going to wear tomorrow. A picnic in the park would require something light and cheerful, and thin enough that he wouldn't overheat. Unfortunately, as his years of spy work had taken over his life, he'd rid himself of those clothes, and had filled his closet with dark outfits, which wouldn't be easily detected.

He pushed his mouth to one side, thinking about Gail's small, hopeful face, which was so much like his dad's. He had so much to ask Blaine and his son. All at once, Kurt became aware of three sets of eyes staring at him. Making a sound of acknowledgement, Kurt saw Finn twist around entirely to face him, "Kurt, I've been saying your name. Where's your head today?" When Kurt shifted around to make himself more comfortable, Finn assumed the worst, and walked over to Kurt, holding a hand to his forehead, "What's wrong? Does something hurt? Are you ill?"

Kurt gazed up at his brother's face, seeing the earnestness in his eyes. Uncertainty flickered in Kurt's. "Finn?" Reaching up, Kurt grasped his brother's hand, and pried it off of his head. Confused, Finn shook his head, so Kurt continued, every word slow and careful, "I don't want to work here anymore."

Finn drew back so suddenly that he almost slammed into Puck, who had also approached Kurt, his tanned face concerned. "Kurt… what? Where did that come from? You can't just leave the company. You don't have anywhere else to go."

Sitting up, Kurt raised his brows at his brother, as he noticed Unique start to stand. "Did you expect this to never come? Finn, I'm twenty five years old. You and Puck are nearly thirty. Don't you want to know what it's like to be a normal person? To go on dates… To be someone's husband… o-or dad?" He glanced between Finn and Puck, who didn't look convinced. Helplessly holding up his hands, Kurt said exasperatedly, "Finn, we've been fighting crime for eleven years. I've had enough. You might want to do this now, but what about when you're fifty… or sixty? _I_ want to have a family now."

Looking over his shoulder at Puck, Finn blew out heavily, and laid his sturdy hand over Kurt's shoulder, "Kurt… I don't understand. You were the one we came here for. Unique and Sebastian gave you a home."

"And I'll always be grateful for that." From the corner of his eye, he saw Unique curling up his lip, his eyes flitting back to Sebastian's hand. He reached back for it and squeezed it. "But… Finn, I-I love someone. And I can't be with him if I stay here."

Unique abruptly stepped forward, his eyes becoming large, "When have you been meeting men? You've been keeping secrets from us?"

Kurt whipped back around to Finn and Puck, "If you come with me, we could put our money together and rent an apartment. We could get jobs, and support ourselves." Shaking his head when Puck lowered his eyes to the floor, he snapped his eyes to Finn's solemn face. "Finn… please. You're my brother. Come with me." As Finn removed his hand from Kurt's frail grip, tears sprouted in the corners of his eyes. "Finn—"

"Just stop, Kurt." Unique growled, plunking onto his chair and pulling Sebastian's hand onto his lap. "I always knew there was something about you that I didn't like. You're just going to turn on us? We fed you, clothed you, gave you a _home._ And then one guy smiles at you and calls you pretty, and _none_ of that matters anymore? You're a traitor—"

"That's enough, Unique." Sebastian, who had been oddly quiet during the dispute, finally put his foot down. "Come over here, Kurt." At that instruction, Kurt swallowed thickly, his head bowing like that of a scolded child. He slowly slunk off of the couch and padded over to the screen. If he listened carefully enough, he could hear Sebastian breathing.

Kurt wiped the tears from his eyes, "Sebastian, I-I'm so sorry. But I have to be with him. I love him—"

"I understand." Something in Sebastian's voice changed, as it filled with raw emotion. "And you're right. Are you being smart? Probably not. Anyone who listens with his heart, rather than his head, usually isn't. But you're free to go, Kurt. You should know, though, that if you form any kind of attachment to the people on the outside, you couldn't come back. We can't risk having anyone find out about us."

Kurt's voice was so soft that he was sure Sebastian couldn't hear him, "So, I have to choose between all of you, and him?"

Sebastian sounded dismal, "I'm sorry, Kurt. What do you want to do?"

Turning away from Sebastian, Kurt stared at his brother and Puck, the former rubbing at his reddened eyes. Finn already knew what Kurt didn't know he'd decided. "You won't come with me?"

Finn's voice was strained, and he spoke toward the floor, "This is my family, Kurt."

Sebastian said from behind him, "You can stay for the night, but you should get out of here in the morning. Turn in your gear. You won't be involved in this mission anymore. You have to go upstairs. Any new information discussed is private. Unique, why don't you walk upstairs with him and take his gear?"

Grabbing Kurt's arm, Finn blurted, "No, I'll go with him—"

Kurt pulled away from Finn, unable to be close to his brother, "I can do it myself, Finn."

Puck's mouth dropped open, "So… that's your choice, then? You're picking some guy over us?"

He wished he could explain to them, and tell them who it really was. Although that would bring attention onto Blaine, it seemed as if Blaine had nothing to do with the kidnapping of his dad. When Kurt had gone to visit him, he'd found nothing suspicious, and Blaine looked as if he was unaware of the kidnapping. Still, until Kurt could be entirely sure, he had to keep Blaine's name out of every conversation. When he opened his mouth, Puck held up his hand, "Don't say anything. Your silence is enough. Kurt, I've known you since you were little. I expected better out of you. I must have misjudged you."

Kurt's cheeks brightened, "You're angry with me because I want to be someone's husband? Because I want to be loved in a way that none of you can love me?"

Puck arched a challenging brow, "And has he said that he loves you?"

Steam poured out of Kurt's ears, "No! But I know that he does!" Once again, he jerked away from Finn when he reached out for him, "Why are both of you acting like my parents? I'm not a child anymore! I just… I've never wanted anything this badly! You don't know what he means to me. He's not just some guy—"

"Then, who is he, Kurt?" Finn pleaded.

"I can't tell you that. You won't understand! Now, stop looking at me like I'm a wounded animal!" He whirled around to the screen, seeing Sebastian's shadowy figure slumping into a chair. "Sebastian, you said that I'm being dumb for following my heart. But I'm following both. I know that he needs me more than any of you do. Admit it. I'm the most useless one here when it comes to solving missions. It's never been what I've wanted to do. I'm not happy here anymore."

Finn, who couldn't argue with any of that, slouched his shoulders. He turned his face away, as tears trickled from under his eyelids. "If you're not happy, you should go. I can't beg you to stay here, if this isn't what you want. I'm going to be worried sick about you. And, Kurt, if… if this guy doesn't work out for you, please come back to us. You wouldn't have to solve missions anymore. We'd find something else for you to do, but I—"

Kurt shook his head, backing away from all of them. Finn stepped after him, as if he intended to snatch Kurt up and keep him close, "I can't come back, Finn. I've been suffocating here. When I'm with him, it's like a weight is off of my chest, and I can breathe again. I love all of you, but I know where I'm meant to be. It's going to work out with him. Years ago, we made a promise. He said that he would marry me. He's going to take care of me, Finn. I'm going to be fine."

His brother suddenly raised his hands to his face, letting out a rough sob, as Kurt kept going toward the door. Puck shuffled over to Finn and touched his shoulders, but he shrugged him off, and then darted over to Kurt, before he could even blink. All at once, Finn slammed into Kurt and wrapped him in his arms. Tears spilled out of Kurt as if he had turned into a fountain. "I'm going to miss you, little brother. I never wanted you to go. But… if this is what you need to do, I'm going to support you. Be safe. Do what you want to do. I love you, Kurt, more than anything else. You're my whole world."

Kurt closed his eyes, pushing his face into his brother's shaking chest, "I love you, too, Finn. I'll never forget what you did for me." Raising his head, he kissed his brother's jaw, and then stepped away from him. "Maybe we'll see each other again." He padded through the basement door, and started up the stairs, hearing it swing shut behind him. It was time for him to start his new life, with Blaine.

* * *

Minutes before Kurt showed up on Saturday, Blaine wiped off his kitchen counters, scrubbing at particularly sticky stains. After more than an hour of rifling through their clothes, and then searching around on websites that advised about what he and his son should wear on their first date, Blaine had readied both himself and Gail, but was then left with the impossible task of cleaning his apartment. When he reached a yellowish, unidentifiable blemish that seemed to have been nailed into the granite, he gave up with a frustrated noise, and tossed the paper towel into the garbage.

Shutting the cabinet where he kept the trashcan, Blaine glimpsed up at the sound of Gail's shoes clomping across the floor. Gail was dressed very similarly to Blaine, in a smart outfit that consisted of his only dress shoes—a gray pair that had been scuffed on the toe—and a pair of tan capris, with the pant legs rolled up, and a dark blue button up. The red bowtie, which Blaine had taken from his own dresser and tied around his son's neck, was lopsided, so Blaine knelt down and readjusted it, as Gail snuffled and scrubbed at his face.

Looking up at his son's splotchy face, Blaine pulled his hands off of it and drew his lips taut at the sight of his bandage, which his blood had started to leak through. "Is your cut still bothering you, baby?" Gail emphatically nodded his head, so Blaine grabbed the corner of the bandage, pulling it up. "Let's give it some air. But don't scratch at it, okay? It'll get infected if you touch it too much."

Before Blaine could pull the dressing off, a short knock at the door drew his head up. He made to stand up, but Gail burst out of his arms, cut forgotten. Blaine smiled at his eager son, following him to the living room, where he was frantically pawing at the door handle. "Hold on, little guy. I'll let him in." Blaine said laughingly, going over to the door and scooting his son back with his foot. He opened the door, and unconsciously let a sunny smile flicker at his lips at the sight of Kurt. He was dressed to win hearts in a pair of dark blue shorts, which were cut high on his waist, and came just inches above his knees. His shirt was the color of grapes, and was dotted with large, red roses.

Without giving Blaine a chance to tell him to come in, Gail flung his arms around Kurt's slender legs, his round face buried in his knees. "Kurt! I thought you would never come back! It's been _days!_ Look at my clothes! Daddy said I have to be fancy for my date."

Giggling at the tiny boy, Kurt knelt in front of him, watching him pull at the collar of his shirt. "You look very handsome, Gail. I've missed you! Can I have a kiss?" Kurt turned his face to the side, lending Gail his cheek, which he smacked with his slobbery lips. "Oh… Gail, what happened to your cheek? Why do you have a bandage?"

Gail rubbed at the bandage, "I got hurt. It's really sore, Kurt."

"Poor, little guy. Here… this bandage is no good anymore." Kurt pinched the corner of it that had started peeling up, and pulled it the rest of the way off, being so gentle that Gail didn't even flinch. "Do you want to know a trick to make the pain go away? Run into the bathroom and splash some water on your face. That'll get the gunk out of it. I'll get a bag of ice. Apply it to the cut for three minutes."

"Okay!" Fervent to please Kurt, Gail skittered from the room, legs carrying him faster than they ever had.

Once his son was gone, Blaine turned back to Kurt, whose blue eyes flitted to his face. Moving closer to Kurt, Blaine bowed his head, as his hands hooked around both of Kurt's hips. Neither of them said anything as their lips brushed, so softly that Blaine could hardly feel Kurt's mouth. Kurt's breath curled around Blaine's face, and when they pulled apart, his porcelain face had darkened to a peony pink. Remembering the task that he'd given himself, Kurt suddenly batted his eyes, and backed out of Blaine's grip. "What happened to Gail's face?"

Putting his hand on Kurt's waist, Blaine led him into the kitchen, where Kurt set down the bags of ice cream and toppings that he'd brought with him. He checked over his shoulder to make sure that Gail wasn't coming back yet, and then lowered his voice, "It was these stupid kids we ran into last night. I took him out to use his telescope. We were walking around a few blocks. When we were coming back to the apartment, these kids from his school rushed at us. They had been sitting in front of one of their houses. Before I could even pull Gail back, one of them threw rocks at him, and screamed that… that…" he listened for Gail again, and heard the water still running. Blaine took a deep breath, feeling Kurt's hand fold over his shoulder. "He yelled that I was a freak for being attracted to men. Apparently, Gail had been telling people that I was having you over for a date."

He left Kurt's side so he could open the freezer, and he stuck what Kurt had brought over inside of it. Pulling out the case of ice cubes, Blaine cracked them out, and shook his head. "The boys hurried off before I could grab any of them. This morning, I contacted Gail's principal. He sounded uninterested, and said that there would be nothing he could do since the harassment happened outside of school hours. Kurt, I just… I was with Gail when this happened. It terrifies me to think about what might have happened if I wasn't, or what will happen when he goes back to school on Monday. I've already been thinking about sending him to other schools, but the closest one is too expensive, even if I turned off the electricity for a few months. I feel so helpless, Kurt. I'm his dad… I'm supposed to protect him. I knew that the bullying would start one day… I didn't think that it would start now. He's still my baby. He doesn't understand. I…" Covering his throbbing forehead with his hand, he grimaced, as if he were the one with the cut on his cheek. "No one ever warned me how hard it would be to be a single dad. And the woman I slept with… well, she would have been no mom for him, anyway. But, Kurt… I've needed your support."

Rubbing his hand over Blaine's tense back, Kurt smiled up at him, and kissed his waiting mouth. When Gail dawdled back into the room, Kurt whirled back around, and beamed at the little boy, whose face was damp. "You forgot to dry off, silly!" Kurt cooed, taking a cloth off of the counter and bending in front of him. He patted his scrunched face until there was only a faint layer of moisture sitting on it, and he reached back up for the ice, which Blaine quickly stuffed into the center of a rag. "Now, this is going to be cold, Gail. It might sting your cut a little at first. Can you be a brave boy for me?" When Gail nodded, Kurt pressed the ice to the wound, and made a sympathetic sound as the small boy wriggled uncomfortably. After a few seconds, Gail sucked his puckered lip back in, and reached up to hold onto the ice himself. "There you go. Does it feel better? Come here… Give me a hug, sweetheart."

Opening his arms, Kurt waved Gail closer to him, and turned his face into the boy's curly head. He bundled Gail up in his long arms, standing with him against his chest, as Gail wrapped his legs around his waist. Plopping Gail onto the counter, Kurt smoothed his hair off of his forehead. When he spoke, his voice was soft, "Gail? Honey, those boys made you sad last night, didn't they?" Gail stuck his bottom lip out again, so Kurt rubbed his finger across it, making him pull it back in. "I want you to listen to me. No matter what they say, you know that what you feel in your heart is right, don't you? Even if they get into your head and make you question yourself, always listen to your heart. Do you think that there's anything wrong with your daddy feeling the way that he does?"

Gail shook his head, his grabby hands stretching up for Kurt's face, "I want Daddy to be happy. Why were they mad at him? Kurt, I want Daddy to be with you. I don't want you to go. I love Daddy, and I love you, too. I want Daddy to love you. Will you be my other daddy?"

Blaine's heart stuttered at those words, as he hadn't been expecting them out of his son, who usually kept himself clamped up in a shell. Fearing that Kurt might be perturbed by what Gail had said, Blaine briefly glanced at him, only to see him hug Gail fiercely. Kurt kissed the crown of Gail's head, "That's up to your daddy, Gail. No matter what he wants me to be, I'll always be your best friend. Everything's going to be okay. I love you so much, sweetheart." Letting go of Gail, Kurt made a surprised face, "Was that your stomach gurgling? Wash up! I need to get food into your belly, but only after you clean these hands. Look at them! They're filthy! There's a speck of dirt right there… and right there… You're a messy boy, Gail!"

Shocked, Gail examined both of his hands, flipping them back and forth. Wiggling closer to the sink, Gail turned on the water and stuck his hands under the stream. As Gail soaped them up, Kurt opened the freezer, his eyes swinging back to Blaine. When their gazes met, his skin turned a deep red, a beautiful clash of color against his rosy mouth. "I'm so sorry. That was unacceptable, wasn't it? I shouldn't tell him those things. It's just that… when I look into those big, hazel eyes… I see so much hope in them. They're just like yours. Gail is such a strong, intelligent boy. You've done well with him, even if it's been hard. I do think that I love him, Blaine."

Blaine grinned proudly, "Thank you, Kurt. I've always thought the same things about him." Touching a stray curl on his son's head, Blaine wound it around his finger. "Gail is my amazing, little man. And, Kurt, you can say whatever you want to him. I don't mind. I think that he needs to hear those things. Don't you, little guy? You like knowing how much Kurt loves you, don't you?"

Gail, whose attention had been fixated on the flavors of ice cream that Kurt was pulling out of a bag, snapped his head up, and laughed when Kurt wiped his fingers across his chin. "Don't drool, Gail! Tell me, my ice cream aficionado, what's your favorite flavor?"

"Um…" Gail scratched the top of his head, "All of them!" Having decided that, he rumpled up his face, his triangular eyebrows puckering, "Uh… Kurt? What's a fist…? A fishy…?" His eyes blew out of proportion, giving him a funny look, "Are there fish in that ice cream?" Looking suspiciously at the tubs of ice cream, Gail informed them, "I like ice cream, but not fishy ice cream."

* * *

A half hour later, the three of them got out of the apartment, carrying their ice cream cones, and Kurt with his bag over his shoulder. He never separated from it. A few feet ahead of them, Gail waddled down the sidewalk, licking at his fingers as ice cream dribbled onto them. Holding Blaine's hand, Kurt peacefully closed his eyes and leaned his head back, and then reopened them when he heard Gail gasp.

Flinging his hand to the side and almost making his balls of ice cream tip out of the cup, Gail scampered to the other side of the sidewalk and squatted down. Blaine, furrowing his brows and inclining his head, started to ask Gail what he had found, when the little boy squeaked, "Hello there. Daddy, I found a fuzzy critter! He's squirmy."

Blaine chuckled, squeezing Kurt's hand tighter as he led him forward, "That's a caterpillar, baby. Be gentle with him. You could squish him."

Narrowing his eyes at another pair of people who strolled by, Gail protectively scooped the caterpillar onto his hand. "They're going to step on you, little guy! You have to be careful." He held the caterpillar over a leaf, watching him slide down and plop onto it. Once he made sure the caterpillar wouldn't fall off of the vibrating leaf, Gail stood back up and ran back to Blaine, who wrapped the little boy in his arms and bowed his head, kissing his forehead. "Daddy, I helped the caterpillar! He won't get stomped on now!"

"You did a good thing, Gail." Blaine scratched the top of his head, "Why don't you run up ahead, and see if you can find any other creatures? Give me a few minutes to talk to Kurt, okay? And eat your ice cream. It's melting." After Gail pounced off again, Blaine rolled his eyes, but smiled, anyway, "If anything out of the ordinary happens, he has to tell me about it. I can't count how many times I've woken up in the middle of the night because he wants to drag me out of bed and show me something. He's such a curious child. I was never like him in that manner."

"Yes, I remember." Hooking his arm around Blaine's elbow, Kurt stepped closer to him, their shoulders bumping as they paced along. "It took months for you to let _me_ in." Coming to a stop when Gail ventured off of the sidewalk and sat down beside of a snail, he turned toward Blaine and rumpled his face. "What… happened, Blaine? What happened to you after I left high school? You're different than the teenager you once were."

"I can say the same of you." Following Gail into the grass, Blaine leaned against a nearby tree, and kept an eye on his son. Gail was petting the snail's swirly shell, unaware that the snail couldn't have cared less if he got a few pats from the friendly child. "You still haven't answered me about how you got through the window, or why you have a telescope." He raised his brows at Kurt, who promptly disregarded the questions, and reminded Blaine that he had asked first. Blaine sighed, tipping his head back. "Fine, I'll answer first. But you have to answer me, too. You always have been stubborn, haven't you?" Blaine slowly sank onto the cool ground, so Kurt lowered beside of him, placing his hands on his thighs. Blaine shook his head again, "After you left, I became angry. You were my only happiness, Kurt. The change in my attitude didn't go unnoticed by my dad. The fights with him got worse. He used to throw me around… scream… punch me. One day, I'd had enough. I was tired of all of the derogatory comments about me at school… tired of you not being there… tired of him. I snapped. He put his hands on me, and I grabbed him around his throat. I slammed him into a wall, and hit him, over and over."

As if he could still feel his dad's skin slapping his knuckles, Blaine looked down at his hand, curling and uncurling his fingers. "My mom had to pull me off of him. When I came to myself, I felt sick. I wondered what kind of kid hits his own dad. My dad was so bloody. He had these vacant eyes… He just stared at me. I couldn't even face him. I left the house, and slept in my car. When I came back the next day, neither of my parents would look at me. My dad had bandages all over his face. Because he was trying to pass an important bill, he waited to tell anyone that he wanted to disown me. I thought that I had just petrified him into never laying a finger on me again, so I acted out at school. The next day, when some poor boy shouted at me, I turned around and tackled him to the ground." Blaine lifted his eyes to Gail, who had crouched onto his hands and knees, and was sniffing around, plucking flowers as he went and bunching them into one of his sticky hands. "I was expelled for attacking that boy. I broke his nose and jaw. I didn't graduate from high school. That was what made it hardest for me to make a life for myself after my parents kicked me out. Once I was on my own, I took any job that I could find, and got enough money to pay for the apartment that I have now. When even that wasn't enough, I started sleeping around. I impregnated a woman, and I ended up with Gail. Once I became a dad, I realized that I had to start speaking up, for the both of us. I had to take what I knew I deserved. I couldn't be docile anymore. And, now… I'm with you." Rolling slightly onto his side, Blaine laid his head in Kurt's lap, and wearily smiled up at him. "Tell me about you. You used to be an open book. After eleven years, you won't admit anything to me. I want to know."

Kurt's eyes searched the ground beside of Blaine's head, as he fingered his heavy hair. Blaine was too sharp for him to distract him from the questions he had posed. All he could do was sit stupidly, waiting for a respite that came in the form of Gail, who dashed over to them, his stubby legs moving so fast that when he skidded over to them, he was panting. "Daddy! Daddy!" He cried, smushing his chubby face into Blaine's chest. "Daddy, I was walking over to the swings, and those boys from school yelled at me! They told me to put down my flowers, or else they would pull my hair. I was going to give my flowers to Kurt. Now, I don't have any flowers!" He held up his empty hands.

Sitting up, Blaine scowled in the direction of the main playground, "I took my eyes off of you for three seconds. I've had enough of them picking on you—"

When Blaine made to stand up, Kurt grabbed his arm, "No, Blaine. You can't get yourself involved. Gail has to handle this, or else they won't stop tormenting him. Sweetheart, come here." He looped his arms around Gail's waist and sat him down on his knee. As he rubbed his back, he said, "Gail, can you be a brave boy for me again? If you ever want them to stop, you have to walk over there. Hold your chin up high. Don't lower yourself to their level, but be firm when you tell them that what they say doesn't bother you. Both of us know that you, and your daddy, are remarkable people. You look up to your daddy. It doesn't matter if your daddy is attracted to men, or if you ask questions that no one else would. They're the ones at fault for being so mean to you. You understand that, don't you? I want you to tell those boys that. Your daddy and I will be right here."

Gail sniffled, "I've never stood up for myself. They're bigger than me. And they throw _rocks._ "

"All the more reason to defend yourself." Kurt encouraged, nudging Gail off of his leg. "Sweetheart, you don't deserve to be treated so poorly. Now, go on. Let them know that they are in the wrong."

Puckering his bottom lip, Gail trotted forward a few steps, and then paused and glanced back at Kurt. Kurt waved him off, reclining against the trunk of the tree as Gail went farther and farther away. Blaine kept a close eye on his son, not even noticing the ladybug that buzzed around his hand and perched on his thumb. From the distance, Kurt watched Gail stagger up a small hill, his head ducking as he said something to a group of three boys, who seemed to be trying to maul down the swing set. All at once, their heads jerked around to Gail, who flinched back, but continued speaking. Suddenly, one of them bent down and grabbed a handful of prickly mulch, which made Gail squeal and scramble backwards, only to fall onto his butt.

It only took Blaine a matter of two seconds to bolt up to his feet. Heaving himself upright, Kurt raced after Blaine, who screeched to a stop in front of Gail, making a wall between him and the young boys. Blaine clamped Gail into his arms and searched him over, even though none of them had hurled anything at him. When Kurt reached them, he grabbed for one of the boys, who snorted like a pig, and ripped away like a bullet blowing out of a gun. Whirling around, Kurt faced Blaine's back, and found himself meeting Gail's watery eyes. Gail's face, which had turned a rash red, was pressed into Blaine's shirt, as Blaine rocked him back and forth, hushing him as he hiccupped and sobbed.

As Blaine rose, Kurt slowly approached the pair of them, and brushed a stray curl out of Gail's slimy face. "Blaine… I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have said—"

Patting his son's bottom, Blaine glanced over his shoulder at Kurt, his face solemn, skin drained of color. "No… no. It's not your fault. What you did was best for Gail. We couldn't have controlled how those boys would react. Gail, baby… shh. You're going to make yourself hysterical. He's only crying because it startled him. He's not hurt. We're going home, Gail. I'll give you a bath. You can take a nap—"

Gail squirmed in Blaine's arms, "No, no! My flowers!"

Looking down, Kurt clicked his tongue at the sight of the flowers—which were mostly a mixture of crushed weeds and grass, and snatched them before they blew away. He held them out for Gail, who laid his cheek on Blaine's shoulder and shook his head. Without a word, he pointed at Kurt, who weepily smiled at the kind gesture, and held the flowers close to him. They remained in silence for the rest of the walk home, and as they went on, Gail's lids started to lower. Every so often, they bounced back up, and then would slide down again.

After a while, they arrived at the apartment, and Blaine opened the door with a shove of his shoulder. He kicked the air-conditioning box to make it buzz alive, then shut the door behind Kurt. For a second, he stood in the middle of the living room, as if he felt clueless of what to say next. "Um… I-I'm going to give him a quick bath. If you want to stay, make yourself comfortable. If not, I'll—"

Kurt nodded, "It wouldn't be any trouble… if I stayed?" The look that Blaine gave him was answer enough. Turning away as Blaine carried his son down the hallway, Kurt blew out heavily, his shoulders lowering. He smiled as his eyes came across a photo album that had been set on the dresser in the corner of the room. Walking over to it, Kurt touched the dusty cover, seeing that Gail's birth certificate had been taped to it. Underneath that, a paper that had crinkled at the corners, and was marked with a pair of small footprints, had also been placed. Opening to the first page, Kurt saw a picture of a round baby in a tub of water, which was discolored with blood. In the next picture, the newborn was clutched in a pair of muscular arms, and Blaine was looking down at his son with reflective eyes, tear streaks moving like spider webs down his cheeks.

He was about to flip to another page, when he made out the sound of Blaine's voice. Peeking at the two of them, Kurt caught Blaine with his freshly cleaned son in his arms, a big towel wound around his body. Blaine dried Gail off as if he were a fragile piece of art, and then took the towel away, replacing it with a set of pajamas that had cowboys and horses skipping around on them. Murmuring to his son, Blaine trapped him in his arms once more. He propped him on his shoulder and brought him into the living room, where Kurt unsurely moved forward. Blaine nodded, giving Kurt his permission to follow them into Gail's bedroom. Kurt pulled the sheets up so Blaine could lay his son down, and he sat beside of Blaine, who leaned over his son and kissed his forehead. "I'll wake you up in a few hours, okay? But you need a nap. I love you, my beautiful boy."

As Gail batted his eyes, Kurt reached into his bag and grabbed a pair of black sunglasses. He showed them to Gail, just before he fell asleep. "Gail? Would you hold onto these for me? They're not just normal sunglasses. These ones are special. If you press this button, you can see through the dark. And, with this one, you can do a scan of the area around you. The glasses will detect any traces of human body heat. You'll never have to be scared that those boys are sneaking up on you."

Gail grabbed the glasses, "These are for me?"

"Uh huh." Kurt took the glasses back and set them on his dresser. "But you don't need them right now. You're completely safe. Go to sleep. I love you, Gail." After he kissed Gail's cheek, he let Blaine stand him up, and sweep him out of the room. Once they were alone, Blaine helped him onto the couch, but remained standing.

Blaine scrubbed the nape of his neck, "I'm sorry about all of this." He said earnestly. "This wasn't how I intended our first date to go. Do you… I don't know, want a drink, or the rest of those sandwiches?"

"Could I have a glass of water, please? Save those sandwiches for Gail. He enjoyed them so much. I'll have to make more for him." Before Blaine vanished, he checked over his shoulder, and Kurt smiled, "I am going to come back, if you want me to. This wasn't a bad date, Blaine. I like spending time with Gail. He'll do as little boys do, and cry sometimes, but I can't blame him. Those awful boys were trying to hurt him."

Blaine returned with a glass of water, and an iced tea for himself. "Thank you for being so understanding." Lowering beside of Kurt, he wrapped an arm loosely around his waist. Kurt rested his head on his shoulder, and Blaine leaned over to kiss the top of his head. Closing his eyes, he tipped his head back, feeling Blaine's stubble scratch his forehead. "I could stay like this for hours, with you in my arms. I don't want to separate from you for another four years."

"I don't want that, either." Kurt whispered into Blaine's neck, pressing kisses over the tan column. When he reached a spot where the pulse was strongest, he flicked his tongue out, and then sucked the skin between his lips. Above him, Blaine grunted, and shifted his hips. "Blaine… kiss me." Slowly, Blaine moved Kurt around, dragging him down the couch, until his head hit the arm of it. Blaine threw one of his legs over Kurt's, straddling him, and bowed his head. "Mm…" Squeezing his eyes shut, Kurt parted his lips when they touched Blaine's. Blaine's tongue slid out and searched between Kurt's small rows of teeth, giving Kurt the taste of a sweet drink.

Hooking his arms around Blaine's neck, he played with the hair at the back of his head, as he rutted his hips up. Realizing that Kurt wanted friction, Blaine ground his hips down. Both of them hissed at the zap of pleasure that made both of them rub harder at the pressure. Letting go of Blaine's neck before he pinched it with his curling fingers, he slid his hand down Blaine's muscular chest, and cupped his hand over the bulge in his jeans. Even though he couldn't get a good grip on Blaine through the thick fabric, he massaged as best he could, feeling Blaine thrusting into his hand. "Blaine… please… your bedroom. I want you to take me."

Blaine suddenly stopped moving, so Kurt's hand stilled, and then drifted away from his tented crotch. His eyes flicked over Kurt's small face, and he bent for one more kiss. "Not… Not now."

Kurt became unresponsive to the kisses he bestowed to his mouth, "What… What do you mean, Blaine? Do you not want to make love to me? Or is it… that you don't have lube? Do you not want to have sex with Gail in the apartment?"

"No… I mean, yes. I—damn." Flustered, Blaine scratched at his jaw. His head sank into his hands. "It looks like we both have a secret, huh?" Bringing himself back upright, he squeezed both of Kurt's hands, his eyes focused on Kurt's uncertain face, "Kurt, we can't start this relationship off if we're unable to tell each other everything. You've always been my best friend. You can trust me… and I'll trust you, okay?"

Kurt tentatively nodded, "I suppose you're right. Okay… no matter what you say, and no matter what I say, we have to promise to not overreact. We have to support each other. You're the only person that I have left, Blaine. On the count of three, we'll both say what we've been keeping from each other. Are you ready?" When Blaine gave his approval, Kurt closed his eyes, not wanting to see Blaine's face when he admitted what he'd been doing for the past eleven years. "Okay. One… two… three. I was a spy." It took a second for what Blaine had said to process, "Wait… what? You kidnapped your dad?"

The expression on Blaine's face mirrored Kurt's, "You're a spy?"

Kurt waved his hands in front of himself, "No, no. I _was_ a spy. But, Blaine…" Scooting off of the couch, he twisted his chest so that he could peer down the hallway. "You're telling me that you have your dad in your bedroom? Blaine… why? Is he okay?"

Blaine stood up with Kurt, "I… yes! Yes, my dad is fine. I'm not hurting him. Kurt, you don't understand. I had to do it—"

"But why?"

Blaine slumped back onto the couch, the image of an exhausted man who had been stretched too thin, "My dad was in danger. I feared for his life. In politics, my dad has a loud voice. He sometimes speaks without thinking. And I don't know why I do it, but I still listen to what he has to say. When he was asked about how he felt about immigrants moving to the states to find work, and what he thought about gay marriage being legalized in more states, he made a few… let's call them… vulgar and ignorant comments. I don't know why he said what he did about the immigrants, anyway. Both sides of my family moved to the states from the Philippines and Asia. After his comments spread, a few extremist groups put out death threats. And as much as I dislike my dad, I don't want him dead. I did what I could… I kidnapped him. I was going to let him go once all of the fuss about his comments settled down again. It seems that kidnapping him only made it worse, though."

"Blaine…" Kurt flopped beside of Blaine, his hands reaching up for his shoulders, "Blaine, what if you were caught? What would happen to Gail?"

Blaine's shoulders caved inward, as he released a rough sound into his hands, "I-I don't know. I was stupid for taking my dad. I regret doing it. It's only caused me trouble. He doesn't even recognize my voice." He shook his head sadly, "Maybe I wasn't doing it to save his life. Maybe I wanted him to pay attention to me. And it still hasn't worked. Now, I'm risking my neck. If I go to prison, I don't know what will happen to Gail. And I'm terrified that, when my dad realizes that it's me, and I let him go, he'll have me arrested, anyway. I should have just left him for dead."

"Nothing bad is going to happen to you or Gail." Kurt assured, even though he couldn't quite make it a promise. "But, Blaine, you and Gail have to get to a safer place. You have to get Leighton out of here."

"I know that." Blaine rubbed his thrumming temples, "But I don't have anywhere else to go."

Kurt touched the back of Blaine's hand, "But I do."

Blaine's eyes widened as what Kurt was implying sank into his skin and coated his rigid bones. Finally, he gave in, because he knew what was best for him and his son, "Okay. I'll do things your way."


	4. Body Electric

Blaine stacked the last suitcase by the front door, and gave his living room one more scrutinizing look. His ashen face followed Kurt's form, as he walked back into the room, bag in his arms. "The rooms are empty. What do we do now? How are we going to get my dad out of here without him being noticed—?" When Kurt quirked a brow, Blaine sealed his lips shut. "Sorry. Do your… spy thing."

"I'll need your help." Kurt wandered away from Blaine, so he trotted after him. He placed his hand on the handle of Blaine's bedroom door. "He's in this room?" Confirming, Blaine blew out heavily as Kurt opened the door, sneaking in on the tips of his feet. He opened his bag and pulled out a can, shaking it quietly as he inched over to Leighton. Just as his feet scuffled on a length of the carpet that had formed a small bump, and Leighton's head turned toward the sound, Kurt seized the nape of his neck, hitting a pressure point that paralyzed him.

With his free hand, Kurt untied both of his wrists. Bending his head back, Kurt let the bag slide off of him. He briefly glanced up at Blaine, whose mouth was gaping. "Don't breathe."

Without giving Blaine any explanation, Kurt sprayed a cloudy chemical out of the can. Leighton tried to jerk back, but the puff of air swarmed his face, until he had to breathe in. Blaine watched his dad's face drain of color, and then tip back, as he lost consciousness. Letting go of Leighton's head, Kurt grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged it over his face, saying from behind it, "I'm not strong enough to lift him."

Hurrying forward, Blaine grabbed his dad around his waist and hauled him up. He folded him over his shoulder, grunting at the extra weight, and carried him out of the room. After Kurt shut the door and locked the gas inside of the bedroom, he spoke more clearly, "It's a sleeping gas. It could last up to eight hours. We need to put his body in a bag."

As Kurt dug through his knapsack for what looked like a cylindrical pillow, Blaine spoke with a strained voice, "What else do you have in that bag? A laser?" He rolled his eyes when Kurt held up a small, metal object, and then tossed it back into the bag. "Why don't you be a little more careful with it? It could cut off someone's finger."

A bubble of laughter suddenly erupted out of Kurt, "You're such a dad." Handing Blaine the body bag, he started walking toward Gail's bedroom. "Zip him into that bag. It has straps to secure it. I'll get Gail. Oh… and, mind my knapsack. It has a bomb in it. It explodes on contact."

Blaine's cheeks darkened, "I am being _responsible._ " Kurt laughed again, and disappeared into Gail's room. Looking back down at the bag, he started to back up so he could sit down and unfold it, but briefly made sure that he wasn't going to sit on any of Kurt's gadgets. Sighing, Blaine unhooked the straps and unrolled the bag, which looked more like a sleeping bag. "He had to become a spy. He couldn't have gone on to be a successful doctor. No… he's a spy, with a _laser._ "

A moment later, Kurt returned to the room, Gail bundled up in his arms, with a blue blanket wrapped around his squirming body. When Blaine glanced up at him, Kurt waved him off, "Don't look at me like that. You're the one who kidnapped him." Hoisting Gail higher on his shoulder, Kurt lowered his voice, "Don't worry, Gail. We're just going on a car ride somewhere." Once Blaine had his dad closed up in the bag, he hooked it under his arm like a football, and grabbed two of the suitcases, leaving the third for Kurt. "Follow my lead. Don't make any faces."

The three of them left Blaine's apartment, which still contained more than half of his belongings. He'd brought only what he thought was necessary. Pausing to look inside of it one last time, Blaine dragged the door shut with his foot, and went after Kurt. Almost instantly, they passed by a woman who Blaine was convinced had stared at them for a second too long. But he kept himself quiet, and did as Kurt did. After a few minutes of walking, they got out to the parking lot without being interrupted, and Kurt guided him over to a sleek, black car. Carefully, Blaine laid the bag across the back seat, and then climbed in on the passenger's side, after he took Gail back from Kurt.

Kurt got in on the driver's side and started the car, rolling out of the parking lot and onto the main road. Blaine uneasily shifted his weight, as he draped Gail over his lap. "Can I know how you got to be this way?"

Kurt's eyes flicked to the side, "Oh… it's a long story."

"I'd like to know." Blaine encouraged. "But… first, why'd you quit? I mean, when'd you do it?"

Turning onto a long strip of road, Kurt sped the car up, making a few leaves spring up as the tires spun invisible nets that contained large gusts of air. "I quit yesterday." He said idly, an answer that made Blaine worry his brows, his eyes sliding over to Kurt.

* * *

Kurt steered the car up to a towering mansion, which was shielded by walls so high that Blaine couldn't see the tops of them. Suddenly, a few men garbed in heavy, black outfits bent over, staring down at the car, and pointing guns at it. Holding Gail closer to himself, Blaine watched Kurt lean out of the window. He started to reach out and pull him back in, when he called, "Tony, it's me! Open the gate!"

One of the guards climbed down a ladder, his body wiry and quick, and he dropped the last two feet. Pacing over to Kurt, he stuck the gun back into its sheath, and said neutrally, "Kurt, you quit the company. My orders are to turn away anyone who doesn't work here. No exceptions."

Making a frustrated sound, Kurt pleaded, "It's an emergency. I have information about the kidnapping. Please, let us through."

Leaning down, Tony pointed a finger at Blaine, "And him?"

"The son of Leighton Anderson." Kurt said shortly, his face softening when Tony turned away and marched back to the gate. Pressing buttons on a pad, Tony spoke into the box. The gates shuddered, scraping the bare ground, as they broke apart. "Thank you!" He stepped onto the gas and drove the car down a long driveway. "This is where I've lived for the past eleven years."

Blaine furrowed his brows at the front door, which was twice as tall as the average human. "Who owns this company?"

"His name is Sebastian Smythe." Kurt parked the car behind two others. "He inherited it from his dad. Most of his employees work on the outside. My brother, Puck, and myself lived on the inside… as well as Unique, but he's just an assistant. Sebastian doesn't hire many people because it's easier to keep track of where we are, and if we've admitted anything about the company outside of these walls. We work in secrecy because if people knew about us, they would know to expect us, and figure out our tactics. You're the first outsider who's ever gotten to go inside."

Thinking that the people on the inside might not be too happy about that, Blaine gritted his teeth, "Lucky me."

When Kurt stepped out of the car, Blaine also got out, and passed Gail over to Kurt. Going around to the back door, Blaine reached in and pulled out the sack that contained his dad. He felt his face turn a little green as something inside of it shifted. He left the luggage in the car for later, and became Kurt's shadow, as he approached the door and punched a number into the pad. He spoke into it, and the door unlatched. Elbowing it open, Kurt returned both of his hands to Gail's bottom and back, carrying the child inside as he surveyed the main room.

Suddenly, two sets of footsteps tromped down the hallway, and Blaine turned his head, seeing two boys he remembered vaguely from high school. Finn, he recalled, was the tall one with the raven hair, while Puck was the stocky one with the shaved head. The black haired one stopped first, "Kurt?" He cocked his head to the side, as if changing his perspective of Kurt would prove that it was really his brother. "You're… back. You brought an outsider."

"He brought _Blaine._ " Puck pointed out, "And a… kid. And one of the body bags." He and Finn shared a look, and he shrugged, "I've got nothing. Kurt, did you have this planned out yesterday?"

"No." Kurt shook his head distractedly. Looking up at the ceiling, he asked, "Sebastian, are you listening?"

Blaine's eyes became huge when, from an unseen speaker, someone said, "I'm here, Kurt. Why don't you come downstairs? All of you."

Taking Blaine's hand, Kurt led the three of them over to a staircase, which he started to descend. Even the basement was in perfect condition, with bulletin boards hung on the walls, and notes scattered all over those. As they arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Blaine noticed a slim figure disappear behind a partition. Before Kurt got to business, he took Gail over to a small area of the room that had unused balls in it. "Stay over here, sweetheart. Play with the balls." Returning to Blaine's side, he motioned for him to put down the bag and open it. "Sebastian, I have Leighton Anderson."

Finn moved forwards again, " _What?_ "

Separating the flaps of the bag, Blaine showed them the pale face of his dad. Kurt continued with as firm of a voice as he could manage, "Blaine was the kidnapper. But he did it to help Leighton. There were death threats made against him. Blaine took Leighton into his home, where he held him hostage. Despite this, I insist that you treat Blaine like a hero. He saved Leighton—"

"I understand, Kurt." The voice came from behind the partition. "Slow down. No one is going to prison. Blaine did a good thing. I will get started on smoothing over the people who voiced the death threats. No harm will come to Leighton Anderson. You've done well, Kurt. You may leave now."

"That's it?" Kurt's cheeks flushed with aggravation, "Sebastian, I've worked for you for eleven years! This is all you have to say to me?"

Sebastian sighed, "Gentlemen, can I please have a few minutes with Kurt?" Almost instantly, Finn and Puck conceded to Sebastian's request, so Blaine went after them. As they thundered up the stairs, Blaine walked over to his son and grabbed him, then carried him up to the top floor. Before he was completely out of the room, Sebastian spoke again, "Kurt, for the past few years, I've noticed that you haven't been acting like yourself. Can you explain to me what's going on? I don't understand what you want me to give you. You left the company… but when you come back, you act as if you want back in? Is that it?"

"No." Kurt said quickly, hanging his head. "I don't want to do this anymore, Sebastian. I don't know what I want! I'm so confused. I want to be with Blaine and his son… but I want to do something else, and I don't know what. Blaine was all I ever knew in high school. Before I could even get a taste of the real world, I was taken here. It's like… I've forgotten who I was. I haven't sung in so many years. And fashion… well, that's been neglected for so long that all I know are dark clothes… clothes that conceal me. Sebastian, before your dad passed away, didn't you ever want anything else?"

"Of course I did." Sebastian sounded like that should have been obvious. "Actually, I wanted to be a marriage counselor. Pretty startling, huh? Before their divorce, my parents fought a lot. And when I stayed with my dad, I noticed that all he wanted to do was drink and hook up. I wanted to solve other couples' problems before they became unsalvageable. And I was a lot like you. My dad tried to force the company onto me, and I would scream and fight him about it. I wanted nothing to do with his spy work. But when… when I saw my dad on his deathbed, choking for air, I realized what my duty was, and I took the company. I changed a lot of things. I fired many incompetent staff members, who were taking advantage of the fact that my dad was an alcoholic. I locked this place down like a prison. And you… you thought of it like that, didn't you?"

Kurt shamefully turned his face away, "You grew to like your work here?"

"I got used to it." Sebastian corrected, "Kurt, I'm thirty six years old. I'm not young anymore. I can't start over, like you can. Besides… I don't want to show my face in public. Years ago, I was badly burned in a fire. The scarring is so petrifying that I've avoided showing myself since then. I ran into the fire to save Unique, you know. That's why he's here. It was when I still went out on the field, like you used to. Someone had lit the crime scene on fire. Unique was inside one of the buildings that became victim. Before it collapsed, I went after him. Unique was unharmed, but I was in the hospital for two months. He stayed with me, every single day. And when I was released, he kissed my mouth, and told me that he would do whatever I needed him to. We never pursued our relationship because I chose to stay hidden, and he's gone on to be with other men, but I'll never forget that kiss. Lately, remembering it seems to be the only thing to make me happy. My point is that you've got to find that one thing that makes you happy, before you're my age, or worse… something goes wrong, and you end up like me. I'll tell you what, Kurt… because I love you, and I've always had a soft spot for you, I'm going to give you the privilege of coming back here whenever you want, or even staying here for extended periods of time. Would that make you more comfortable, knowing that you could see your brother and Puck whenever you need them?"

"Yes. Yes!" Kurt clasped his hands in front of him, "Sebastian, thank you—"

" _But,_ I'm doing this with the expectation that you'll be responsible about coming here. You can't bring any outsiders with you. Oh, and, Kurt… I know that you didn't leave all of your gear here." After he paused for a second, he remarked flippantly, "You always have been the sneakiest of the three of you. You can keep it, as long as you don't use it to store any more bodies. As far as the child goes—"

"Gail."

"Gail… He is more than welcome, with Blaine. And… can you give this to the little guy?" Kurt moved closer to the screen when Sebastian held out a hand, which had a larger laser in it. "The heat in it has been broken for months. I haven't gotten around to fixing it. It's just a light now. Tell him that he can have it. It's too large for him to swallow. He might enjoy it."

"Thank you, Sebastian." Kurt bowed his head at the screen, and then whirled away. Blaine bolted up the rest of the stairs, glad that Puck and Finn had went their own ways. He leaned against the wall, pretending that he hadn't been listening, as Kurt dawdled up the stairs, flicking the laser on and off. When he got to the top step, he offered Blaine a wry smile, "I'm a spy. What did you think, that I wasn't aware of you standing there?"

Blaine's face turned as red as a cherry, but Kurt merely laughed, and kissed his cheek. "It's alright. Gail, honey… do you want to see this? It's a present from Sebastian. It's a laser. Do you like it? You can be a little spy, too." As Gail played with his new toy, Kurt took a deep breath and tipped his head back, "Sebastian will handle your dad now. I'm ready for that mission to be off of my hands. Well… how about it, Blaine? Do you want to stay here for the night?"

Looking around himself, Blaine grinned at the largest building he'd ever stayed in, "Really? I'd love to. I've never had anything like this. Even my parents' house wasn't this grand."

Kurt took Blaine's hand again, "I suppose I should formally introduce you to Finn and Puck. They're probably in their room."

Blaine chuckled, "Oh, are we getting serious? I'm meeting your family?"

"If you wiggle your eyebrows like that again, you won't be doing anything with me." Kurt threatened, bringing Blaine down the hallway, and nearly bumping into Unique, as he closed the door to his own bedroom. It appeared that he had just woken up from a nap, as his clothes were awry, and he had crust in the corners of his eyes. Kurt paused, "Good evening, Unique."

Unique sucked in his dry lips, "Finn and Puck told me that you had come back with Leighton… and outsiders." He gave Blaine and Gail a critical look.

Kurt's smile thinned, "Blaine helped us with this mission. I wouldn't consider him an outsider—"

"He was the cause of the mission. I would consider him the criminal." Unique said bluntly. "Listen to me, Kurt. You're not a part of our company anymore. The only reason you're here is because your brother and Puck haven't betrayed us. Don't get too comfortable. Technically, you don't belong here."

"Technically?" Kurt scoffed. "Technically, Sebastian just made me as welcome as I used to be, even if I don't handle the missions. You can ask him yourself." Putting his hands on his hips, he said as gently as he could, "Unique, it's been eleven years, and you still haven't warmed up to me. I don't know what it is I've ever done to you, but I've never been ill willed toward you." Clamping his hand around Blaine's elbow, he continued softly, "Have a good night, Unique. Blaine and I are going to retire."

Unique made a huffing noise, walking past them without another word. Lifting Gail up higher, Blaine rubbed his back as the little boy snuggled his head into his shoulder. "What a nice guy."

Kurt elbowed him, "Don't be too harsh with him. I think Unique is just misunderstood. The man that he's always been most fond of won't take their relationship farther because he's afraid of coming out. I wouldn't be the nicest person if I knew that you were right at my fingertips, but I could never touch you." They continued down the hallway, and Kurt turned into a room that was as big as Blaine's entire apartment. "Finn? Puck?"

Another door opened, and Finn poked his head out. Making a soft sound, he walked the rest of the way out and rushed up to Kurt, squeezing him in his arms. "I'm so glad you're home." He muttered into Kurt's hair, his eyes rising as Puck also approached. "It's only been a day, but I've been so worried about you."

"Finn, Puck…" Stepping back, Kurt gestured to Blaine, who tried to hold a hand out, even though it was at an awkward angle because he was supporting Gail. "I want you to properly meet Blaine. He's my…"

Blaine glanced down at Kurt. "I'm his… boyfriend." When a wide smile stretched onto Kurt's mouth, he returned his gaze to Finn and Puck. "It's nice to meet you. Kurt's told me good things about you." Finn warily looked down at Gail, who had fallen asleep on Blaine's shoulder, so Blaine quickly put in, "Oh… this is my son, Gail. He's usually very friendly, but… it's been a long day. If you'll excuse me, I'll put him in bed."

"You have a… kid?" Finn said darkly. "What are you, bisexual?"

Kurt sounded alarmed by Finn's judgmental tone, "Finn! You can't ask for someone's sexuality—"

"It's alright, Kurt." Blaine returned to the group of them, after he slid Gail into one of the open beds and closed the door behind himself. "Finn's your brother. He needs to look after you, and make sure you're dating the right guys. No, I'm not bisexual. It's… not something I want to get into right now. But… Gail doesn't have a mom. I've been a single dad for eight years. And Kurt seems to love him. They've bonded very well. If things work out between us, I'd be happy for Kurt to take Gail as his stepson."

Puck squinted his eyes, "Dude… you're completely different than you were in high school. What happened? You used to not talk to anyone."

Kurt put his hand on Puck and Finn's chests, pushing them backwards, "Guys, Blaine and I are exhausted. Can't you interrogate him tomorrow? You two are like hounds on a bone." He kissed their waiting cheeks, "I love you both. I'll see you in the morning. Blaine—?"

Like the protective brother that Kurt expected him to be, Finn held out his arm to block Blaine from following Kurt into their own bedroom, "Whoa… no, no. You two are not sleeping in the same bed." When Kurt raised his brows at him, he shook his head in annoyance, "Oh… fine. But only because you're an adult now. Just remember that I'm not happy about it. But no… no touching, okay? At all."

"I know. I know. I was supposed to stay a little boy forever." Kissing Finn's cheek once more, he waved at his brother. "Goodnight, Finn." He shuffled into his bedroom with Blaine on his heels, and shut the door behind them. Instantly, he whirled into Blaine's arms when he grabbed for him, finding his back pinned to Blaine's chest. Giggling quietly, he tilted his head up and kissed Blaine's lips. "I love you."

Blaine nuzzled his face, a smile spreading onto his mouth, as he whisked Kurt over to the bed. Kurt, who had never lain in a bed with Blaine before, wanted to spend a while exploring his boyfriend's body, but was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Stretching out beside of his limp body, Blaine caressed Kurt's round cheek, as his lips parted and his breaths whistled through them. Kurt curled his legs up, tucking them into his chest, and then pushed his arms out from underneath him, searching for Blaine. Blaine, who couldn't say it to Kurt when he was awake, rubbed his lips over Kurt's forehead, "I love you."


	5. Scars

The following evening, Kurt perched at his desk with his laptop in front of him, his fingers tapping out all of the different ways he could word that he was searching for a job in the central Ohio area. On his lap sat Gail, who had been there for over an hour, while Finn and Puck took Blaine out to badger him about his relationship with Kurt. To keep Gail occupied, he'd given him a small container of cookies, which had somehow slid just out of reach. When he finished one, his gooey hands stretched out, desperately reaching for the rest of the cookies. Giggling at the silly boy, Kurt scooted the container closer, and kissed the top of his curly head. "This is your last cookie, Gail. You're going to spoil your dinner."

His chocolaty face looked up at Kurt, who smiled down at him, and started wiping the smudges from his mouth. Before Kurt could get back to work, one of the guys suddenly burst back into the room, slamming the door into the wall. Gail jumped at the bang, so Kurt wrapped him up tighter, slowly standing as he propped the child on his hip. "Puck?" Kurt said in surprise, watching the tanned man search the main room, and then swing his head around to Kurt's room. "What's wrong? Where are Blaine and Finn?"

"Come with me." Puck waved Kurt out of his room. "It's not good. Sebastian sent me up here to find you. You have to calm Blaine down. I didn't know the guy had such a volatile temper!"

Kurt's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Hooking Gail's legs around his hips, he boosted the child up higher, and followed Puck. "Puck, what is it? Is Blaine okay?"

Puck ignored his questions, so Kurt stopped asking, his lips sucking in. He led him through the living room, and over to the basement door. "As we were walking by, Blaine overheard what his dad was saying. Leighton's awake, and very alert."

"Oh, dear." Kurt whispered, handing Gail to Puck so he didn't have to witness anything distressing. "Stay up here with Gail. Don't let him hear anything." Hurrying halfway down the steps, he paused at the sight of Leighton, who had once again been strapped down to a chair. Finn was standing a few feet away, with his hands on Blaine's back. Blaine looked like a prickling cat, which had just had its tail pulled. His eyes were wild with rapidly changing emotions, and his mouth was stiff.

Leighton coolly leaned back in the chair, saying in a surprisingly clear voice, "I demand to be released from this place. Nothing will happen with the death threats. They've given them before. Blaine, if you let me go now, I won't press charges."

From behind his partition, Sebastian tried to remain as civilized as he could, even though Kurt could hear his frustration edging into his voice. "Mr. Anderson, we have to take all of the precautions we can with these death threats. Until they're completely smoothed over, we have to keep you safe. Your son saved your life."

Smiling like a snake, Leighton stared directly at Blaine, "My son made a mistake, as he's done many times before. I have a business to carry on. Blaine doesn't understand this. He's never managed anything—"

"Leighton—" Sebastian tried, his voice weakening.

Blaine's fingers curled into large fists, his throat moving as he swallowed several times. "Let him go." He suddenly snapped. "Throw him to the wolves. Let them kill him for his _stupid_ comments. Why did you even say those things? _We_ were immigrants! You and Mom don't have a single trace of American blood in you!"

"Maybe so." Leighton shrugged. "But I was right about homosexuals. Marriage was made for a man and a woman. This extremist group might disagree, but I won't back down on my stance."

"You stubborn ass." Blaine spat, the vulgar word making Kurt raise his eyebrows. Blaine had never cursed in front of him before. "Are you really that stupid? Willing to give up your own life to make sure that gay people… that _I_ … can never marry? Out of your own spite."

"Not out of my own spite. I'm doing what's right, Blaine. Now, release me, so that I can continue trying to pass this bill."

Blaine crossed his arms over his chest, "If I had it my way, I would personally drive you to that extremist group and let them do whatever they wanted with you. But I'm going to walk away, and know that you'll always be more miserable living than you would dying." Sneering at Leighton, Blaine turned away and stormed up the stairs, pausing briefly by Kurt. He gave him a look those spoke a thousand words, and then passed by him.

"Blaine!" Kurt scampered after Blaine, who pressed his hands into the back of the couch, his head hanging down. Laying a hand on one of his trembling shoulders, he felt the powerful muscles that were coiled up like springs. "Blaine, why are you letting him get to you? You know that he's only saying those things to provoke you. Do you want Gail to see you like this?" Turning around, Kurt waved Puck and Finn away, as the former traded the child to the latter, "Please, take Gail back to his bedroom. I don't want him to see Blaine like this."

Finn, forcing himself to act like everything was okay, jolted the child out of his trance on Blaine by swinging him upward and plopping him onto his shoulders. "Want to play a game, Gail? What's your favorite game, kiddo?"

Spinning back to Blaine, Kurt felt his mouth pop open as Blaine slunk away from the couch, running his hand through his hair. He searched his pockets for his keys and wallet, and started for the door. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know. Away from here. I need some air." As Blaine opened the front door, Kurt skittered after him, grabbing his arm. To Kurt's relief, Blaine didn't shake him off. The two of them walked in silence to Kurt's car. Even though he was in a coarse mood, Blaine still opened the passenger door for Kurt. Climbing in the driver's side, Blaine pressed a button to make the engine purr. He backed the car up, and suddenly swore again. "I feel like an idiot. I should have just let him get killed. When he's released, he's going to press charges. I could lose Gail." As if saying those words out loud made them real, Blaine punched his fist into the steering wheel, making the car swerve. "Dammit!"

Placing his hand on his heart to steady it, Kurt said quietly, "No one is going to let you lose Gail. He's safe with us. Your dad can pull strings within the government, but so can Sebastian. Blaine… what is bothering you? You were never like this in high school. Nothing got to you. It seemed like you didn't have any temper. You're… out of control now."

"I don't want to talk about my dad anymore." Speeding up the car, Blaine turned his head to the side. Unable to think of any other topics to bring up, Kurt made an irritated sound, and rested his head on the window. He didn't know where Blaine was going to take him, or how long it was going to take to get there, but he wished that time would go by faster, or reverse, so that he could stop Blaine from ever running into his dad.

It seemed like they drove five hundred miles, around and around the same blocks. Sighing as they rolled by a stop sign that Kurt was sure he'd seen ten times before, he looked over at Blaine, whose face was still screwed up, and knuckles were just as white as they were twenty minutes ago. Kurt wondered if he would ever tire of driving. Finally speaking up when Blaine signaled left—down a road that they'd been on before—Kurt pleaded, "Blaine, can we pull over? I'm feeling carsick. I want to get something to drink."

Peeling his foot off of the gas pedal, Blaine slowed the car down. His face melted into its usual stoic expression. "Yeah. Let's pull over." Just as those words came out of his mouth, he noticed something that caught his attention. Kurt glanced in the direction that he was gazing.

"T-The bar?" Kurt asked in surprise, having never been in a bar before. The only alcohol he'd ever had was at his brother's twenty sixth birthday party, when Puck had bought a bottle of champagne, and had offered Kurt a finger of it. "That's a lot of trouble to go to for a drink, isn't it? Look… there's a convenience store right there."

"No. I want to go in the bar." Hardening his jaw like a determined bull, Blaine pulled the car in front of the bar and shut it off. He opened his door and stepped out, then walked around to Kurt's side and helped him out. "I just want a drink or two."

"Blaine—" Kurt tried, taking his hand and hurrying along. Before he could beg Blaine to turn around and go home, where he could try to talk some sense into him, Blaine pushed through the door and instantly ran into a man standing at a podium. The man nodded for Blaine to go by, but stopped Kurt, who quickly explained that he wasn't going to drink, anyway. Slipping past the man, Kurt returned to Blaine's side, holding onto him as he headed up to the bar.

The bar was mostly empty, except for a few guys hanging out at one of the round tables, and an older, gruff man drinking his whiskey, a newspaper in his other hand. Clinging to Blaine's side, Kurt heard him say to the bartender, who idly stood to the side, wiping out glasses, "Bourbon." Nodding, the bartender turned to a wall full of glistening bottles of whiskey. He grabbed one of them and poured it into a tall glass, then handed it over to Blaine. "Thanks." Without giving the air bubbles time to pop, Blaine tipped the glass down and downed an inch of it. Wincing as the strong drink slid down his throat, he leaned against the counter.

Looking away from Blaine, Kurt asked the bartender, "Could I have a glass of water, please?" A few seconds later, the bartender handed him the drink, and Kurt squeaked out a thanks. Scooting closer to Blaine, Kurt plopped onto one of the stools and sipped his drink. He glanced back up at Blaine, who was taking another long chug of his drink. Setting the glass down, Blaine licked the droplets off of his bottom lip, and sat beside of Kurt. Kurt, still incapable of coming up with conversation, said through tight lips, "I didn't know that you drink."

"I don't, usually." Blaine said, just as stiffly. "I haven't had a drink in about…" he counted backwards, and then shrugged his shoulders. "It's been a long time. Do you not drink?"

Kurt shook his head, "No. Finn and Puck don't bring alcohol back with them when they go out. Besides, my brother wouldn't like it if I drank." When Blaine nodded, Kurt reached over and rubbed his back, "Hey, Blaine… I'm going across the street, okay? I'll be in the convenience store. They might have some candy or toys for Gail. I'll be back." Kissing Blaine's forehead, Kurt started to reach into his pocket for his own wallet, but Blaine grabbed his wrist.

"I'll buy your water." Blaine muttered, and Kurt managed a smile at him. Thanking Blaine, Kurt took one last sip, and rose from the stool. Padding away, Kurt remained unaware if Blaine watched him go. He exited the bar with a heaving sigh, glad to be out of that stifling room. He had never understood the desire to go off and drink when something went wrong. Scurrying across the street, Kurt opened the door to the convenience store and grinned at the woman who greeted him.

He searched the aisles for the sweets and toys, and found them near the middle of the store. Grabbing a handful of chocolates, a pack of strawberries that had been dipped in white chocolate—for himself, and a bag of sour candies for Blaine, Kurt returned to the front of the store and dropped them into a basket. He probably could have paid and went back to the bar, but then figured that Blaine might be another while, so he went into the toy aisle. Instantly, he came across a brown teddy bear that he plunked into his basket. After snatching a few more trinkets, Kurt wandered into the grocery aisles and examined all of his choices of snacks. Deciding on a few healthy things, as well as a splurge of pudding, Kurt dawdled up to the front of the store and put his basket down.

As the woman behind the counter scanned his items, Kurt fished through his wallet for his money. Sebastian had always advised that they carry around dollar bills, rather than credit cards, to cover their traces, in case someone got suspicious. Handing her the cash, Kurt turned his head toward the window, when he made out the soft roar of what might have been a crowd. Noticing where he was looking, the woman rolled her eyes, "A protest about the marriage bill. They've been at this for hours now. They're a few streets away. You've been warned to stay away from there. It's gotten so violent that my manager has almost closed down the store a few times."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at the window, and then took his bag from her. "Thank you." He said softly, leaving the building and letting his ears adjust to the raucous. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Kurt dialed a number, as he started walking in the direction of the gathering. Within two rings, Sebastian answered him. Plugging one of his ears as the noise grew louder, Kurt said, "Sebastian, I've stumbled upon a protest. I'm going closer to see what's happening."

"Where are you? Do you want me to send Finn and Puck? Stay out of the center of it. I don't want you to get hurt."

Going around a street corner, Kurt screeched to a halt at the border of a swarm of people, like bees buzzing frenziedly around a hive. In the middle of the crowd of people, who each held signs up that had some phrase about how gay marriage should be legalized, there was a large stage, with a flamboyantly dressed man standing in the middle of it. Kurt lowered his phone, listening to what he was shouting, "Leighton Anderson is a coward! He's gone into hiding because he knows that we are stronger! More people support us. Gay marriage _will_ be legalized in Ohio."

All at once, the crowd erupted, and about thirty feet away, another group of people started shouting obscenities. Furrowing his brows, Kurt snuck around the outside of the people, as they all inched closer to the person on the stage. He stopped when he realized that, positioned behind a wiry fence, was a smaller group, who was obviously fighting the bill to legalize gay marriage. Kurt lifted the phone to his face, "I don't think that Finn and Puck need to come. The police have cut back most of the violence. It's the extremist group. They're speaking about Leighton. Is there something you want me to do?"

"No… not by yourself. I want you to keep yourself safe. Get out of there as soon as you can, and come home." Agreeing, Kurt clicked off the call, and started back to the bar. After years of breaking riots up, Kurt knew just how to maneuver out of the madness. Turning around a corner, Kurt tucked his bag under his arm and walked toward the bar, which had gained a few customers since the last hour that he'd left. He entered the building and showed his card, then shuffled into the center of the room. To his surprise, Blaine had vanished from his spot at the bar, and was nowhere to be found around the other tables.

Recalling that he had seen his car still sitting outside, Kurt hesitantly headed up to the bar, where the same bartender was standing, his face now tilted toward his phone. "E-Excuse me? Do you know where the man sitting here went?"

The bartender raised his head, and disinterestedly shook it. Sighing, Kurt spun around again and surveyed the entire room, as if Blaine had magically appeared while he had his back turned. Wondering if Blaine had gone to the bathroom, Kurt looked around for where they were, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Relieved, Kurt turned toward Blaine, his arms opening, and then slowly lowering as his eyes met the greenish ones of a stranger. The smile melted from his lips. The man who had approached him was probably around Blaine's age, with blond locks that had once been slicked back with gel, but had tumbled around his face as the night went on. His eyes were unfocused, and his parted lips reeked of spicy alcohol.

Kurt frowned at the stranger, his arms folding over his chest in a protective motion. The stranger dragged a hand through his hair, his smile becoming lopsided. "I noticed you from across the room. I think that you're beautiful."

Kurt's mouth became taut, "Thank you… That's very flattering. If you'll excuse me, I need to find someone—" Making to walk away, Kurt widened his eyes when a strong grip clamped onto his wrist. He flicked his gaze back to the stranger's hand. "Please… let go. That's not appropriate."

The stranger's cloudy eyes raked over Kurt's front, which he twisted slightly away from him. "H-How about you come home with me?" He hiccupped.

Yanking his arm free, Kurt staggered backwards, "You're being very rude." Suddenly, the man grabbed for him again. Before Kurt could think through his actions, he raised his hand and slapped it across his flushed face. "I have a boyfriend! Have some decency, and keep your hands to yourself."

The man, not understanding what Kurt was trying to tell him, bent forward, his hands cupping Kurt's cheeks. Kurt, out of the corner of his eye, noticed a large, shadowy figure push through the door of a bathroom. Blaine looked very similar to the man groping at him, with a darkened face, and a layer of sweat glistering on his forehead and the bridge of his nose. The gold in his eyes had receded. His usually combed curls were sticking up, as if he had been tugging at them. In an instant, Kurt could tell that his boyfriend had had too much to drink, and was past the point of being tipsy.

Wincing when his boyfriend stumbled over a stool that had been pushed into his pathway, Kurt elbowed away from the man, who he had almost forgotten about. The clingy man, though, wouldn't loosen his hands on Kurt, and tightened them until Kurt let out a squeak of discomfort. As if Blaine had been installed with sensors that detected all of Kurt's actions, he whipped his head around to where Kurt was standing in the man's sticky arms. And, within seconds, it was like Kurt's usually docile boyfriend was someone else entirely.

Kurt watched his thick eyebrows lower over his narrowing eyes, and his lips peel back to reveal pearly teeth. Blaine's temper, when shown in his sober state, laughed in the face of the one that came out when he'd been drinking. Suddenly very focused and aware of his surroundings, Blaine zeroed in on Kurt and the stranger. Blaine's footsteps cracked like thunder as he walked over to them, and before Kurt could even get in a word that he was okay, that he just wanted to be free of the man and then leave, Blaine raised a white fist and swung it at the guy. Kurt cried out when the man, whose hands had been like vises, abruptly went limp, and collapsed to the floor like deadweight. Backing away from his writhing body, Kurt looked down, eyes huge, at the blood that trickled from his nose. "Blaine!" Whirling around to Blaine, he shrieked as his boyfriend leaned down, fists still curled, as if he meant to strike him again. "Blaine, stop!"

Ignoring Kurt, Blaine grabbed the man's collar and hauled him upward. As if he hadn't already caused enough of an uproar, he drove him into the edge of the bar. The man made a whimpering noise as the side of the bar dug into the middle of his back. Laying him over the top of it, Blaine lowered his menacing face over the man's, his words carrying the weight of ten bricks. "If you ever touch my boyfriend in a disrespectful manner again, I'll take your hands and—"

Kurt, who had been clawing desperately at Blaine's back to make him let go of the man, squealed as he was knocked to the side by another hoard of men, who must have been the guy's friends. "Blaine!" Kurt tried, his eyes becoming round as the largest one grabbed the back of Blaine's wrinkled shirt and jerked him around. His hand collided with Blaine's cheek, and Kurt gasped at the crunching noise, as his boyfriend dropped to the floor. Realizing that another of them had lifted his booted foot and was intending to slam it into Blaine's ribs, Kurt felt something ignite inside of him. Running around to the other side of the man, he swung his leg out and wrapped it around the man's ankles. His arms latched around the man's middle, and he used the shock he'd taken the man by to his advantage, even if he didn't have the strength to pull this off.

Bending him backwards, Kurt locked his feet and arms into place, so that he couldn't catch his balance. He let him fall to the floor, his butt colliding first. He whipped around to the others, backing up so his feet nearly touched Blaine's chest, and watched all of them share a look. Finally, they retreated, giving Kurt the chance to bend down and nearly drag Blaine to his feet. When he was up, he grabbed his hand and yanked him out of the bar. Once they were on their own, he took a few steps away from Blaine, before his hand rose to his face. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. "What were you thinking? You didn't have to punch him! Were you trying to prove something?" After a few moments, Kurt realized that Blaine wasn't going to respond, and spun around. He was startled to find his boyfriend with his head bent down, as blood dripped from a gash in his cheek.

Suddenly, Blaine grabbed at his lower gut, the color in his face fading away. He turned his back to Kurt as he squatted, putting his head behind a square bush. Kurt flinched at the sounds of Blaine coughing, the unmistakable hack of him choking up all of the beer he'd just drank. When Blaine stopped spitting, and wobbled as he stood himself upright, Kurt stared at his blank face, his mouth slathered in yellowish vomit, and blood clotting up on his swelling cheek. Putting a hand up to his lips, Kurt blinked away the tears that flashed in his eyes. "You're drunk, Blaine. And you won't remember any of this. Why aren't you the man I used to know?" As if he had enough sense to comprehend that something was bothering Kurt, he started to walk toward him, but couldn't keep himself from tripping. He placed a hand on their car, and Kurt rolled his eyes. "Just… get in the back seat. I can't even look at you right now."

Opening the door for Blaine, Kurt gazed at him as he climbed in and flopped onto his side like a pitiful animal. Kurt went around to the front and flung himself into his seat, sitting still as he calmed himself down with a few deep breaths. Covering his face with his hands, he whispered, "How can I be in a relationship with him? It's like I don't even know him anymore. What am I doing? I'm so… so stupid!" Forcing himself to relax his hands, he flitted his eyes up to the rearview mirror. Blaine had fallen asleep on the seat, arms wrapped around himself, his fingers twitching. Kurt wiped away a stray tear, "Oh, Blaine… what will we ever do? I wish things were back to the way they used to be."

* * *

Blaine parted his eyelids, and squinted them to evade the thin streak of light that slipped through the window. Sliding his hand over his throbbing face, Blaine grunted in an unattractive way, rolling to the side as he checked the clock on the wall. When he saw that it was the morning of the following day, he widened his eyes, his body arching up like a flailing seal. "Oh!" Regretting that jerky motion, Blaine lowered onto the pillows and covered his head with one of them. "What did I do last night?"

Pushing himself up again, Blaine scrubbed his hair, which smelled strongly of liquor. He pathetically scooted his body off of the bed, lugging himself over to the bathroom door, which was slightly parted. Hearing rattling from inside, Blaine curiously cracked the door far enough for him to peer inside. The room was steamed up, and inside of it, Kurt sat on the edge of the bathtub. Kurt's hair was freshly washed, the damp locks falling over his forehead. He was dressed only in a thick, white towel that was wound around his chest and waist. In the tub, Gail splashed some of the bubbles that had foamed up from the shampoo that Kurt was scrubbing into his hair.

Setting the bottle down, Kurt put his hands on his hips and gave Gail a rebuking look, "Where did the soap go, little guy? You were supposed to hold onto it! Did you let go of it?" He reached into the tub and set his hands on Gail's sides, tickling the squealing boy. "What will I ever do if I can't get you clean? We can't have a filthy boy running around!"

Gail wildly kicked his legs, "I didn't drop it, Kurt! It slipped out of my hand!" Looking down in the murky water, he widened his eyes, "What _will_ you do with me if you can't clean me?"

"Well…" Kurt stroked his chin, "I guess we'll have to put you where we put all of the other dirty things… in the garbage."

"Not the garbage! Anything but the garbage!"

Giggling, Kurt fished his hand through the water, and made a satisfied sound when he came up with the bar of soap. "Here it is! _I'll_ hold onto it this time. You can't handle the responsibility." He rubbed it over Gail's pudgy chest, "I would have found some way to clean you. I could never toss out my little guy."

Gail's shoulders sagged, "I almost believed you, Kurt!"

Kurt laughed again, his head turning when Gail poked his nose around Kurt's body. Even though it wavered, he held the smile on his face. "Good morning." He said quietly, turning back to Gail when the little boy waved frantically at his dad. "I already fed Gail. I also tucked him in last night. You were incapable."

Kneeling beside of Kurt, Blaine watched him wash his son, picking up both of his arms and swiping the soap underneath them. He put a hand on his forehead when it pounded sharply. "Kurt… w-what happened last night?"

Tightening his lips, Kurt said gently, "Gail, lean forward. I need to get your back." He returned his attention to Blaine, "You drove us to a bar, where you got drunk. A man started loutishly touching me, and you got into a fight with him and his friends." He looked back at Blaine, sighing heavily, "Blaine, I'm not angry anymore. I was last night. I was in quite the temper with you. While I appreciate the fact that you helped me, I don't ever want you to hit anyone like that again. And… I know, you weren't yourself. But you can't drink like that, either, no matter what's happened to you. It hurt me last night… to see you fall onto the bed, and ignore your duties as a parent. I understand that your dad's words bothered you, but, Blaine, they shouldn't have. You're an incredible man. You have a son and a boyfriend who love you, and would do anything for you. And you let both of us down last night."

Blaine's mouth opened and closed, and while he tried to come up with a response, Kurt shook his head, "Blaine… do you think that the two of us need to put some space between us? Will this work? Will we… work?"

Blaine felt like someone had just slammed him into a wall. Flicking his eyes over the back of Kurt's head, he desperately reached out and touched his arm. "Kurt… no. Please. I-I made a mistake. I was an idiot. I n-need to learn to control my emotions. The only person who's ever gotten to me… is him. I'm sorry… both of you. Gail, Daddy should have never neglected you. Kurt… please, don't put distance between us. We've spent years apart. I don't want it to be like that anymore. Please… I'm so sorry."

"I forgive you." Kurt said neutrally, tipping Gail's head into the water so he could rinse off his white curls. When he raised Gail back up, he pulled the drain, and reached back for a towel. As he unfolded it, he met Blaine's eyes, "But, Blaine, you can't ever act like that again. You need to be a boyfriend and a dad. You were selfish last night. I expect Gail, a-and myself, to be your first priorities… but, especially Gail. He's your _child._ You're all that he has. Promise me that I won't ever have to watch you bend over a bush and vomit into it again."

"I… threw up in a bush?"

Kurt nodded, picking Gail up and setting him on a damp rug. He bundled the towel around him, scrubbing him from head to toe. "You were at the lowest I've ever seen you." When Blaine dropped his head, Kurt caressed his cheek, "Blaine… it's been forgiven… at least, on my part. But my expectations for you are higher than that. If you ever want me to go on another date with you… or _marry_ you… you have to act like a man that I would want to be married to." Once Gail was dry, Kurt scooped him up and propped him against his chest. He rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not going to ask for much. All I want from you is the best effort that you can give. You don't have to be a perfect husband or dad. But you have to want to be perfect." Kissing the corner of Blaine's mouth, he stood up and started to leave the room. "Blaine, I love you so much. But the man that you were last night… well, he was unacceptable, and I don't ever want to see him again."

Kurt took Gail out of the room, and Blaine heard him coo, "Let's get your hair brushed before it tangles. Do _you_ want to do it? You're such a big boy, Gail!"

Following Kurt out of the bathroom, Blaine sat down on the edge of the desk that Kurt had perched Gail at, as Gail awkwardly combed the brush through his hair, missing many of the curls that had started to frizz. He flicked his eyes over to Finn and Puck's bedrooms, "Where are they?"

"In the basement. They've started a new mission." Kurt said idly, as he smiled encouragingly at Gail. "Get this spot right here, sweetheart. Your curls are so pretty, but they can be a mess, huh?"

Frowning, Blaine twisted slightly toward the mirror, no other words coming to his head. On his first date with Kurt, the conversation, for the most part, had come easily. He really wished he hadn't messed up last night, or else things would be simpler now. As he expected, the left half of his face was puffy and black. Kurt noticed what he was doing, "It looked worse last night. Give it a few days."

Blaine looked at Kurt, "What are you going to do today?"

"Well…" Kurt shrugged, "I was going to look for more jobs. I don't have the qualifications for anything, and nor do I have the talent anymore. This is going to be tough, but being a spy taught me to deal with tough. And… I wasn't sure if you'd be up and about, so I offered to take Gail out to lunch. We needed to have a day out. Gail, honey, why don't you go look in your bedroom for a nice outfit? Remember, black goes with everything." When the little boy hopped out of the chair and skipped across the room, he called, "And don't let go of your towel! Finn and Puck would not be happy if they came in and saw your little rump running around!"

Standing, Kurt went back over to the bathroom. He stepped inside of it and started to shut Blaine out, when he turned back around and smiled. "Would you like to come with us, Blaine? If you're feeling up to it?"

"You mean… this would be our second date?"

Kurt's grin widened, "If you'd like it to be our second date." At Kurt's flirtatious tone, Blaine swallowed thickly, because he recalled the promise they'd made four years ago. Suddenly, Kurt snatched his hand and yanked him into the bathroom. "Come here." He closed the door behind him, letting go of Blaine, who slumped against a wall. Blaine stared at Kurt, as he fiddled with the edge of his towel. Kurt giggled at the expression on his face, and then grew solemn once more, one of his brows quirking. "Do you promise to be the man that I need?"

The way that Blaine shifted his legs must have been enough of an answer for Kurt, who slowly spun away from him. Peeling the front of his towel away from his skin, he dropped the towel, which bunched up around his ankles. Blaine swallowed again, taking in the sight of Kurt's small, perky bottom, and his long legs. Kurt was all creamy skin, smooth lines, hairless. Unable to control himself, Blaine stretched his hand out, but paused, not wanting to cross a boundary, or offend Kurt. But Kurt, who remained facing away from him, whispered airily, "You can touch."

Blaine lowered his hand to Kurt's bottom, cupping the supple flesh. He dragged his hand up the curve of Kurt's back, and then stopped at his shoulder. Finally turning toward Blaine, Kurt colored a deep pink, his skin even redder wherever Blaine dragged his hand. Blaine's eyes roamed over Kurt's chest and arms. Kurt had always dressed modestly, so Blaine had never even seen his shoulder before. Kurt wasn't toned, but was lean and wavy, his nipples pink, but the rest of him the color of a porcelain doll. Daring to look down, Blaine took a shaky breath when he realized that Kurt was smooth between his legs, and had a thin cock that was perked up, revealing that the situation he was in had excited him.

Without giving Blaine his permission this time, Kurt took a few steps forward, and melted into his front. Wrapping his arms around Kurt's middle, Blaine felt himself get pushed farther back into the wall as Kurt hooked one of his legs around his waist, the heel of his foot digging into his ass. Their lips met without hesitation, already open and waiting for their tongues to slip out. Blaine won dominance, his tongue entering Kurt's mouth and searching the interior of it. Grabbing one of Kurt's butt cheeks, Blaine lifted his leg higher, loving the feeling of his soft skin against his palm. But before they could take things too far, Kurt broke away with a wanton sigh, the sexual sound making Blaine flush. Kurt, so that Gail wouldn't overhear, whispered, his lips rubbing Blaine's reddened ear, "Tonight, I want you to make love to me. When you come into our bedroom, I'm going to be naked. I want you to climb on top of me and take me. Now, go. I have to get dressed."

Backing away from Blaine, Kurt pressed one more searing kiss onto his mouth, before he pushed him away. With his head spinning, Blaine managed to carefully open the door and shut it, so that Gail couldn't peek inside. Almost plunking onto the floor, he glanced down at his son, who had managed to dress himself, but had his shirt buttons closed up in the wrong holes. "Oh, Gail." His voice shook, and even though his son couldn't understand why, he still felt mortified. "Honey, let me help you with your buttons."

Kneeling in front of Gail, he lowered his gaze when his son looked at him too intently. "Daddy, why is your face so red?"

Blaine didn't know if his skin could become hotter, until Kurt swayed back into the room and stroked his hand through his hair, and pressed a kiss to Gail's forehead. "Your daddy is so easily flustered, Gail. I'll take that right out of him." Glaring up at Kurt, who playfully winked, Blaine realized that Kurt took pleasure out of a competition—and, more accurately, winning. He grumbled to himself, and scowled when Kurt passed by him again, his slender hand rubbing over his back. "Is something wrong, Blaine? Are your pants too tight?"

Growling, Blaine wished he had a way to get back at Kurt. But Kurt would always be two steps ahead of him, would always be the sneaky spy. All Blaine could do was flounder, stewing and rumbling, as he furtively tried to adjust his pants, not willing to let Kurt see him do it.

* * *

Blaine gripped his son's hand tightly, eyes cast down to the top of his head as he waddled down the street. Like Blaine had been when he was Gail's age, Gail was a few inches shorter than the average eight year old, and still carried most of the baby weight that gave him a round appearance. Scratching Gail's head, Blaine grinned at him when he lifted his gaze. There was so much trust and adoration in his big, hazel eyes, and when he turned to Kurt, squeezing his hand, his smile widened.

Picking Gail up slightly, Blaine swung the frisky child back and forth, making him squeal as he clung onto Blaine and Kurt's hands. He wondered if Kurt would ever want to be a stepparent for Gail, or if the only thing he would ever give to Gail was his friendship. Before Blaine's relationship with Kurt advanced further, there had to be tricky questions brought up.

With his son dangling off of his wrist, Blaine took him and Kurt up to a bakery that also sold lunch foods. He lifted Gail up as he tried to gnaw on the ends of his fingers to free himself, and tucked him under his arm like a football. "What do you want, baby? Do you want a peanut butter and banana sandwich? And a cup of yogurt?" Nodding, Gail reached out for Kurt, who stole him away from Blaine and approached the counter at his side. Blaine told them what Gail wanted, and then ordered a cookie for him. Once he said what he was going to have, he moved aside so Kurt could speak, and fished through his back pocket for his wallet.

The woman gave him a receipt and a number, so Blaine turned away and headed for the patio area. Sitting down at a round table that was under the protection of an umbrella, Blaine put his wallet away as Kurt plopped Gail beside of him, his arm sliding around the child. Blaine stared at the two of them, as Kurt ran his fingers through Gail's curls, and cleared his throat. Kurt looked back up, his eyes round with curiosity. "Kurt… I think that it's time to talk about… us."

Placing his chin on his knuckles, Kurt smiled wryly, "Oh, is it?" He tapped Gail's nose, when the little boy looked between the adults. "Why don't you get our lunches from the woman up there? I think I heard her call our number. Don't worry, sweetheart. We're right here. Don't be shy."

Once Gail hopped from the table, he turned back to Blaine, face quizzical, "What do you want to talk about?"

Blaine mashed his lips together, reaching across the table for Kurt's hand. "I-If you agree… I feel that it's a good time for both of us to get… serious… about our relationship. I know that this is only our second date. But, Kurt, we've practically been a couple since we were teenagers. A-And I'm thirty. I have a child. I want to be married… soon. Do you think that you'd be ready, if I asked you? You know, be ready to be a stepparent to Gail?"

Kurt's eyes shimmered, "You'd let me be Gail's stepparent? Oh, Blaine, I would love that more than anything else. But, what if… what if I adopted Gail, as my own? Would you… want that?"

Grinning from ear to ear, Blaine turned his head toward Gail, who carefully brought the tray of food back to the table. "Good job, little guy!" He scooped Gail up and set him in his seat, then placed the tray on the table. Giving Gail his sandwich and yogurt, Blaine rubbed the top of his head. His face became serious, "Before I marry you, I'd want to find a better job. I can't feed a family off of minimum wage."

Picking up his cup of soup, Kurt said dryly, "Before you marry me, you have to ask me. And I want to find any job. Maybe I _could_ work in fashion. I don't know… It's been so long since I've worn regular clothing that I've forgotten how to pair shoes with pants."

"But you know that black goes with everything." Blaine reminded him, making Kurt laugh. "I'm going to make you a deal, Kurt Hummel."

"A deal, huh? This is serious business. Would you like me to write my name in blood?"

Blaine grinned, "Before we get married… _if_ you accept, you stubborn and independent boy… we both have to find jobs." As he counted off all of the things that needed to be done, he held up his fingers. "I want to move into a nicer apartment. We can wait to settle into a house. I want to trade in my car for something safer. I'll work on controlling my temper. And we have to talk about if we want to have more children." He instantly knew that he had struck something inside of Kurt, whose fingers twitched in his. Deciding that the table at a bakery, with Gail beside of them, wasn't the place to have such a private conversation, Blaine quickly smoothed the rumpled look on Kurt's face. "Why can't you ask me to marry you, anyway?"

The glimmer returned to Kurt's eyes, "Because I like jewelry more than you do. And I was the one who started our friendship! The proposal is on you."

Blaine scowled, "I was the one to approach you."

"You bumped into me in a restroom!"

Biting his bottom lip, Blaine turned his face away, "It didn't happen… exactly like that. I didn't have to be in the restroom. I… followed you. When you came into high school, I saw you walking down the hallway. Since then… I liked to watch you. I thought that you were beautiful. But I was always too shy to come near you. You seemed so… outgoing and friendly. Every time I saw you, you were with your brother and Puck. The three of you seemed like you didn't have a care in the world. But… on the day that I went into the bathroom, I thought that I had to say something to you before the school year was over. When you turned around, I couldn't get any words out. I felt mortified. The next day, when you greeted me, I was so… happy. You were so kind to me. No one's ever thought much of me. But you were always there."

Smiling, Kurt propped his arms on the table as he stretched his neck to reach Blaine. The two of them softly kissed, a few brushes of their lips that ended with a pop. When they broke apart, and Kurt returned to his side of the table, his head suddenly whipped to the side at the sound of a blaring car horn. The noise was so jarring that Blaine almost gave himself whiplash, his head jerking to the other side when a window smashed. All at once, a swarm of people rushed around the corner of a building, their bodies creating a massive wall in the middle of a road. Kurt, being the curious spy that he was, slowly stood up, trying to see around the babbling group of people. "What is going on?" He whispered to no one in particular, turning back to Blaine, who also rose, scooping Gail up. Flickering his eyes from side to side, Blaine finally focused on Kurt, who was nearly trembling with his need to get involved in the chaos. Despite the fact that he no longer wanted to be a spy, it seemed to have dissolved into his blood. It was a part of him now.

Catching the arm of a woman who was hurrying by, Kurt briskly asked her, "What happened?"

The woman shook her head, "A riot broke out about some politician—"

"Leighton." Kurt whispered, his voice empty.

Without another word, the woman took off, taking shelter inside one of the nearby convenience stores. Whirling around, Kurt gave Blaine a desperate look. Blaine parted his lips, understanding what Kurt was asking him. "Kurt, I don't want you to get hurt—"

"I'll stay above ground. It's getting violent, Blaine! Someone could get killed! Stay here with Gail. Go inside. It isn't safe." Blaine reached out for Kurt when he started down the street, and he looked down at his son, who was peering worriedly from inside of Blaine's shirt, where he had tucked his face.

"I have to help him." Blaine decided, leaving their lunch on the table as he returned inside of the restaurant. Finding one of the employees, Blaine paced up to him and begged, "Please, can you watch my son for me? My boyfriend is in the crowd. If I'm not back in ten minutes, call this number." He grabbed his wallet and slipped a piece of paper out of it, then took one of the pens off of the counter. Handing the employee the paper, he set Gail in his arms and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back, sweetheart. Thank you."

As the employee carried Gail into one of the back rooms, Blaine ran back out of the restaurant and went in the direction that Kurt had vanished. Pushing by a number of muddled people, Blaine skidded around the corner of the building, and almost knocked into a screaming man, who was holding a handful of rocks. "Shit." Blaine backed away from him, his eyes flitting around for Kurt. He didn't know what it was, but something drew his head up. His mouth dropped open at the sight of Kurt, who was dangling above the ground by the grip he had on a thin rope. "Kurt!"

Kurt's legs stopped moving upward. His head leaned back, and he widened his eyes at Blaine. "Blaine! Get out of here! You're not prepared to be in this. Where is Gail?"

Blaine ignored what he was yelling at him, "Get down from there! This is too dangerous!"

"I can handle this!" Twisting away from Blaine, Kurt kept scaling the building, his feet scraping for ruts between the bricks, where he locked his toes in place.

"That willful brat." He rolled his eyes, slipping away from the crowd when a frenzied man almost slammed into him. Raising his eyes, he saw Kurt's feet crawl out of his line of sight. "Why is he _my_ boyfriend?" He placed one foot on the side of the building, his hands grabbing the rope. "Okay… I can do this." Behind him, a gun crackled, the sound making Blaine scramble up the wall, without even thinking about what he was doing. When he stopped to get his footing, he realized that he had swung one foot too far out to the side, spreading his legs at an awkward angle. "Dammit."

Sliding his leg over, Blaine clumsily searched for the next socket he could put his foot in. When he lost it, he tensed his arms and stomach, using all of the strength he had to hold himself up. Pushing himself up a little farther, he raised his eyes when Kurt looked over the edge at him, his hair tumbling over his forehead from the angle he was tilting his head. "Blaine! Get down!"

"I can do this! I climbed a rock wall when I was younger!" Gritting his teeth, Blaine raised himself another few inches, his hands burning from how tightly he was gripping the rope. The bristles were digging into his palms, turning them bright red.

Reaching down, Kurt grabbed his shoulders when he got close enough, and he hauled him up, gasping at the amount of weight he was supporting. Blaine tumbled onto the roof, and shot Kurt a glare that could have killed. "If you ever make me chase you up a building again, I'll take you over my knee and spank you—"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kurt grinned at him, brushing back his hair as he opened his bag. "You wouldn't dare. If you're going to insist on being up here, you might as well be of use. Reach into my bag and gather all of the smoke bombs that you can find."

"Smoke bombs?" Blaine's eyes became huge, and then he figured that Kurt's method of breaking up the riot could have been worse.

Taking a lighter out of the bag, Kurt rubbed his thumb over the wheel, and then held the lid open when he got a steady flame. He grabbed one of the smoke bombs he had already pulled out and held the fire up to the wick. "I don't stop crime with violence. Finn and Puck are the ones who have been trained to be physical. I prefer to be peaceful." Tossing the circular, chalky object into the middle of the crowd, Kurt watched the top of it spring off when the gases built up. Seconds later, a yellowish gas poured out of the small object, which didn't look like it could hold so much smoke.

As Kurt had planned, many of the people backed away from the bomb, their hands grabbing fistfuls of their shirts and pulling them over their noses. Handing Kurt another bomb, Blaine stared at him as he lit this one and threw it at another area where the number of people was dense. The shouting slowly died down as people ran in twenty different directions, and Kurt stared down at the dispersing crowd, his lips turned up. Even covered in the soot that had fallen off of the bombs, Kurt was stunning, doing what he enjoyed. But then Blaine's head snapped around when he heard the unmistakable sound of helicopter propellers whipping through the air.

Frowning up at the helicopter, which was being manned by an unidentifiable company, Blaine placed his hand on Kurt's back. He narrowed his eyes at the helicopter, which blew heavy gusts of air down on them. Suddenly, a flimsy ladder was released from inside of it, and two men in black armor and masks swung their legs out, dropping to the ground. They unsheathed their guns, cocking them at Blaine and Kurt. Pushing Kurt slightly behind him, he inhaled sharply when Kurt called above the beating of the propellers, "I work for Sebastian Smythe! I was stopping the riot!"

Not acknowledging what Kurt had said, the two men stalked closer to them, guns still raised. Abruptly, Kurt popped to his feet and screamed, "Blaine, move! They're working for the extremist group!" Unaware of how Kurt had come to the conclusion, Blaine fell onto his ass when the one of the men fired off his gun. Flinching, Blaine peeled one of his lids open when he heard metal clatter onto the concrete. He felt his heart thump out of rhythm when he saw Kurt's leg raise, kicking the other gun out of the second man's hand. Whipping around, Kurt grabbed one of the men around his neck and dragged him forward, nearly slamming his head into the roof.

But because of Kurt's size, the other man, who lunged at him and snatched him around his waist, easily overtook him. Screaming, Kurt thrashed wildly, as they hauled him to the edge of the building. Blaine growled deep in his throat, raising to his feet and swiping Kurt's bag off the ground. He dug his hand through it and picked up the thing that he had never wanted to touch. Clicking the button, he gasped as the device heated up in his hand. He shakily aimed it at the face of the man who was holding Kurt, and heard him shout in agony as Blaine directed it at his eyes. Releasing Kurt, he flung him to the side, as he clawed at his face. Kurt squealed once more, and Blaine hurried over to him and wrapped him in his arms just as he tipped over the side of the building. Pulling him back up, Blaine snarled at the man who was still standing. "If you want to keep your eyes, you'll get out of here."

Checking on his partner, the man shook his head and grabbed his shoulders, lugging him back to the helicopter. As soon as they pitifully crawled back onto the helicopter, Blaine laid Kurt down, cushioning his head with his arm, and checked him for injuries. Smoothing his hair out of his face, Blaine tugged Kurt closer to him, as he started to squirm. "You're okay. Catch your breath. Are you hurt?"

Kurt shook his head, his eyes softening as he caressed Blaine's cheek, "You saved my life."

Blaine shrugged, his face becoming sheepish, "You would have done the same for me."

Laughing breathlessly, Kurt tapped his chin. Blaine, unable to do anything but smile because Kurt was okay, nuzzled his face at Kurt's. His eyes suddenly became watery as he pressed his mouth to Kurt's. "I wouldn't take on two lethal gang members for just anyone. Kurt… we never shook on our deal. If it's still open to requests, I want to ask you to not climb on any more roofs, or put yourself at risk, even if it's to save all of those people down there. I probably sound like the biggest ass… but, Kurt, _you're_ the one who's important to me." Even to Blaine, that didn't sound like enough. He winced at his inability to voice his feelings. When Kurt crinkled his brows, Blaine shook his head at himself, "I'm such an idiot. I can't… What I'm trying to say is that you mean more to me than all of those people down there."

Kurt tilted his head, "Blaine? Is there something you're trying to tell me?"

"No." Blaine said quickly, "I mean… yes. I don't know. I just…"

Stroking the pad of his thumb across Blaine's jaw, Kurt raised his head and kissed the tip of Blaine's nose. "It's okay to feel, Blaine. Your feelings for me were what made you climb onto this building and attack those men, weren't they? I k-know that your dad tried to convince you otherwise, but it's okay to… you know, just because I'm a boy doesn't—"

Blaine crushed his lips to Kurt's, "I love you." He said in one breath, and before he could even pull back to see Kurt's reaction, Kurt had his arms hooked around his neck, his lips parting. The two of them kissed feverishly, tasting the dust on each other's lips. When they pulled apart, Blaine slid his arms under Kurt's thighs and back, and boosted him upward, as he scraped himself off of the roof. Carrying Kurt over to the rope that was still attached to the edge of the building, Blaine pressed another kiss to his waiting mouth, feeling the heat radiating off of his skin. He lifted once more, his lips quivering as he realized that a strand of saliva hung from their mouths. "I'm not good with my words… or my emotions. I couldn't tell you before. But I love you. And I want you to be my husband, and Gail's other daddy. Will you marry me?"

Forgetting about his desire for freedom, Kurt shut his eyes and rubbed his lips over Blaine's. "Yes… of course. Was there ever any doubt?"

Blaine smirked, "I've had my insecurities."

Kurt, tucking his head under Blaine's chin, giggled, the vibrations tickling Blaine's throat, "I love you, Blaine, so much. You and Gail. I'm so happy that you followed me into the restroom. I probably would have approached you, anyway, because I always had this feeling about you… like I was supposed to talk to you. But I don't regret a single moment that I spent with you. I just wish that we hadn't spent all of those years apart."

"We have each other now, and I'm never letting you go."

Glancing down at the ground, Kurt raised his brows, "You had better let me go now. You could hardly climb up that rope on your own. You'll never be able to do it with me in your arms."

Blaine made an annoyed face, "Well, you were sappy for a good five minutes. Now you're back to your old ways. You think you're so much better than me because you can climb down a rope! Do I have to remind you about the rock wall?"

Kurt considered that, "But did you get to the top, dear?"

He glanced to the side, as he let Kurt slide back onto his feet, "No… my foot slipped. But I think that the rock was slippery."

Kurt laughed again, his face glowing, "It might have been. But it was probably your sweat. You must have been nervous. Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm only teasing. When I scaled my first building, I started crying, before I even grabbed the rope. It took both my brother and Puck to coddle me and practically carry me in their arms for me to do it by myself."

"So… do you have any fears? You can do just about anything, can't you?"

"Not everything." Kurt corrected. "And I have plenty of fears. Physically, I've always been petrified of going down into pits or caves. There's something eerie about those dark, enclosed places. It's always so mucky. I had to hold onto my brother's hand whenever we went underground for missions. But, mentally, I've always had this one fear. I'm over it now, but… when I left high school, I started to feel anxious… about you. I had no way of communicating with you, and I didn't know if we'd see each other again. I used to cry myself to sleep, as I held onto my pillow. I'd think about you, and wonder if you were thinking about me."

Blaine's heart contracted, and he cupped Kurt's face, bestowing small pecks onto his lips, "There hasn't been a day that I haven't thought of you, Kurt. I love you, sweetheart. Despite my idiotic actions yesterday, you and Gail are the most significant things in my life. I love both of you more than anything else, and I would climb a thousand buildings… take on a hundred gang members… to save either of you."


	6. Piece By Piece

Blaine closed the door behind himself, letting off only a click of sound before he shuffled into the main room. Undoing his cravat, he scrubbed at the side of his neck, as his eyes wandered to Gail's bedroom door. Kurt had called two hours ago, saying that he'd tucked Gail into bed and kissed him goodnight. For the second half of his day, Blaine had been away with Puck and Finn, who had driven him out to a sports bar, where the two of them had drank and ate nachos, eyes set on the football game, and mouths occasionally questioning Blaine on the type of husband he intended to be. Blaine, who planned on keeping his word to Kurt, had settled for an iced tea and a glass of water.

The guys, who had remained at the bar and had been openly flirting and eyeballing a group of women, had parted ways with Blaine when he'd stood and said that it was time for him to get back to Kurt. Grateful that he'd driven separately, Blaine had gone back to the mansion, clothes stinking of Finn and Puck's peppery and cheesy mess of a dinner. To his discomfort, he'd run into Unique on his way back to the bedroom, eyes widening as he saw him fleeing from the basement, and blotting at his swollen eyes. Having noticed Blaine's presence, Unique had spun toward him, and had instantly hardened his exterior, his eyes draining of emotion as he sucked his lips in. He had snapped at him, his harsh words making Blaine's raise his brows, before Unique stormed back to his room.

Shutting his eyes, Blaine started to unbutton his shirt. He flipped his lids back up, and turned his face toward his and Kurt's bedroom. Sighing, he paced over to it and was careful to open it quietly, in case he woke his son, or if Kurt had fallen asleep. But when he pushed it the rest of the way open, his mouth dropped at the sight of Kurt, who was curled up on his side, one knee bent over the other. His head was nestled into his hand, while his other rested on his pale hip. Now that he was staring at his bare body without reservations, Blaine took time to appreciate all of the places that Kurt was so round and full, but slim in others. When he got up to Kurt's face, he saw his eyes idly tracing the words of a book, which Blaine couldn't identify from the way he had the cover tilted. When he shut the door behind himself, Kurt's eyes lifted to him, and creased at the corners. "Hi." Kurt mouthed, his lips twitching into a smile. Stretching out his legs, Kurt poked his toes into Blaine's thigh, as Blaine shifted his weight, and swallowed a lump.

Pushing his shirt to the floor, Blaine felt it crumple around his feet. Soon, his pants joined it, dropping like deadweight. After he kicked off his shoes, he was left in a pair of boxers and socks. His eyes searched Kurt's face for any hesitations, or changes of emotion, and when he didn't find any, he lowered onto the end of the bed and grabbed his socks. As he concentrated on rolling them off of his feet, Kurt wriggled down the bed and looped his long arms around his neck. He turned his head, and met a pair of big, blue eyes, which glittered with emotion and love. "Hi." Blaine whispered to Kurt, whose grin widened, and arms tightened.

Nuzzling into Blaine's cheek, Kurt purred happily, his body buzzing and sending a ticklish feeling through Blaine. "Hi." He said again, his eyes reopening. Now that they were closer, Blaine felt like he was being washed into a calm sea, in the middle of the day. It was bright and warm, and Blaine felt safe, even comfortable. Kurt's small hands grabbed Blaine's face, fingers roaming over his skin. He smiled when Blaine turned his head and nibbled the tips of his fingers.

Once his socks were off, Blaine lowered his arms to Kurt's waist, "Sweetheart, be honest with me. Has there been anyone else? Are you a virgin?"

Kurt nodded, "Uh huh. I waited for you. There's never, ever been anyone else."

Blaine quirked a brow, "But what if I never came for you?"

Lowering his eyes, Kurt brushed his hands over Blaine's tan chest, pausing at his pointed nipples. He looked back up at Blaine, "You would have. You love me. And that's enough." Kissing Blaine, Kurt giggled when he hooked his arm around his waist and scooped him up. Blaine flung him back onto the pillows, and Kurt knocked his book aside, making it thud to the floor. Blaine hooked his fingers into the waist of his boxers and inched them down, until they were a puddle of gray around his feet. Kurt's skin colored as Blaine crawled up the bed, positioning himself over Kurt's body. Blaine let his elbows give out, easing himself on top of Kurt, until their bodies were aligned, and everything fit together. He held himself up with his forearms, so that he didn't crush Kurt, and spent some time touching Kurt's pouty lips with his fingertips. Kurt's face became stoic as Blaine gazed down at him, eyes fierce with emotion. "I love you."

Blaine smiled crookedly, pushing himself back up and slipping down the bed, until his face hovered over Kurt's pale belly. "You had better, because we have a long time together." Grabbing one of Kurt's legs, Blaine raised it up, and propped it over his shoulder. Kurt squirmed uneasily, embarrassed about how open he was. Blaine ducked his head between Kurt's thighs, and slid his tongue out. He lapped it over Kurt's hole, feeling Kurt buck upwards at the unusual sensation. "It's okay, baby. I'm going to open you."

Kissing the small ring of muscle, Blaine carefully raked his tongue over the hole once more, so he didn't startle Kurt again. He used his thumb to pull at it, separating the skin. When Kurt quivered, Blaine glanced up at him, and saw him gazing at him, eyes flickering uncertainly. Keeping his eyes on Kurt, he pressed another kiss to the hole, "You're beautiful… down here." Kurt wasn't like the other people that Blaine had slept with. Instead, Kurt was so tight that Blaine couldn't yet fit his finger inside, and was clean and smooth. Wrapping his hand around the base of Kurt's penis, Blaine slowly glided it up and down, and made another reassuring sound when Kurt reached down to stop him. "You're okay, beautiful. I wouldn't ever hurt you."

Pushing his face into Kurt's bottom once more, Blaine prodded at the hole with the tip of his tongue, and slid it in when the hole opened. Above him, Kurt arched his hips, as Blaine licked the inside of him, the clamp on his tongue easing as he added more saliva to the hole. Hearing Kurt whimper, Blaine raised his head a little, and grinned as Kurt mindlessly grabbed a handful of his curls, trying to find something to steady him. He massaged Kurt with his tongue, pushing it in and out, until it became sore from being pointed. He sucked it back into his mouth, and raised himself again, edging back up the bed. He lay down in the cradle of Kurt's hips, his large hands clasping Kurt's, which he'd rested beside of his flushed head. As Blaine lowered his hips, Kurt murmured breathlessly, "Do you love me?"

Blaine pressed the tip of his penis against Kurt's damp hole, "You know that I do. I love you so much." Gritting his teeth, Blaine curved his hips forward, nudging his cock into Kurt. Beneath him, Kurt gasped sharply, so Blaine sat still for several seconds, letting him adjust to his girth. To distract Kurt from the pain, Blaine kept talking, "I think that I fell in love with you when you were having a bad day. You came over to me, and you curled up in my lap. I held you, and stroked your hair. And I realized, as you snuggled into my chest, that I loved you… that I would do anything for you."

When Kurt's face relaxed, Blaine thrust his hips forward, burying himself into Kurt with one long slide. Grunting, Blaine squeezed his eyes shut, and felt Kurt's mouth peck his. He reopened them, and gave Kurt a weak smile. "Sorry… you're really tight. Relax, sweetheart. I've got you. Tell me when you want me to move."

"Move now." Kurt rubbed his hands over Blaine's shoulder, a soft moan breaking from his lips as Blaine repositioned himself, pointing his cock upward. He drove forward again, his tip bumping into Kurt's most sensitive spot.

Blaine started to snap his hips, picking up a quicker rhythm. Through panting breaths, he asked Kurt, "When did you k-know?"

Groaning, Kurt tipped his head back, when Blaine hit an area that sent a zap of pleasure up his spine. He dug his nails into Blaine's back, his breaths becoming fragmented, keeping time with the bed as it shuddered with Blaine's movements. Blaine slowed down again, giving Kurt the chance to fill his lungs. Sliding his hand to Blaine's chest, Kurt cupped his palm over his heartbeat, his fingers toying with the light dusting of hair. "I knew w-when you smiled at me for the first time. I knew that you weren't like what they said. You were better than them, Blaine. And I wanted to be with you… wanted to be yours, so badly. I l-love you so very much."

All at once, Blaine rutted inside of Kurt, sending both of them over the edge. Kurt let go first, a high pitched sound keening out of him, as he clinched down on Blaine. A white stream spurted out of his tip, painting Blaine's stomach. From the pressure around his shaft, Blaine also released, spilling his seed inside of Kurt. When he finished, he drew back out, and a trail of liquid followed him, seeping out of Kurt's flushed hole. Flopping to the side, Blaine let out a gruff sound, as his body sagged into the mattress. He chuckled lowly, hooking his arm around Kurt and drawing him closer. As Kurt cuddled into his chest, Blaine breathed out, brushing a hand over his sweaty face and pushing his hair back. He looked down at Kurt, who had peacefully shut his eyes. "Are you okay?"

Kurt nodded, his eyes sleepily batting open. Reaching to the side, Blaine pulled on the handle of the drawer in the bedside table. "Kurt… do you want to see something?" Lifting his head a few inches, Kurt blinked at the small slip of paper that Blaine was pulling out. Composing himself, Blaine held up a picture and pointed at the girl who had been captured, "This… was Gail's mom. Her name was Fait. She was… a stripper." Blaine said this last as if he wasn't proud of it. "She'd never been taught to read. She could barely speak. She didn't know how a man was supposed to treat her. If she had lived longer, it wouldn't have been a good life." Suddenly wincing, Blaine turned his head to the side, "We didn't get along. After she became pregnant, I caught her drinking one night. I… screamed at her. I lost my temper. She cried for me to stop, but all I could think was that she was harming my baby, and I couldn't even get Gail away from her. I guess… that's one of the reasons why I'm so protective over him. I don't want anyone to be able to control him, if they have bad intentions for him. He's such a smart, quick boy, but he can be so gullible. He thinks that everyone has his best interest. And… that's my fault."

"Because you're protective." Kurt concluded, and Blaine smiled, realizing that the task of turning Gail into an independent and capable boy was an endless cycle. He gazed at the picture of the woman, who wore her greasy, brown hair short, chopped off at her nape, with bangs that were pushed carelessly out of her face. Her face was tear shaped, and her eyes were the color of the sky. When something dawned on him, Kurt mumbled, "She looked like me."

"Yes… she did." Blaine agreed, pressing his lips to Kurt's hair as he returned the picture to the drawer. "I keep that picture around in case Gail ever wants to see her. He's looked at it a few times, but he has no attachment to it. I never expected him to. He didn't know her. I try to answer all of his questions about her. When he's older, he can know more. But he hasn't brought her up much. I think… he can tell that something was off about her… that she had no interest in him, and only kept him because I was willing to give her a home if she didn't—" He paused, his eyes becoming vacant. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, and duller, "She wanted to abort the pregnancy. Every day, I feared for Gail's life. You don't know how much I wanted this baby. I knew that I didn't have the means to care for him. I didn't know half of what I should have as an expecting parent. But, Kurt, I loved Gail. I had to have him. And now… he's my precious, little guy. I wouldn't give him up for the world."

Kurt smiled, "Thank you for trusting me with Gail. I know what he means to you. I'll try my best to be a good parent for him." Yawning, Kurt plunked his head back onto Blaine's chest, his fingers kneading the blanket. "I'll make you and Gail breakfast in the morning. What's Gail favorite kind of breakfast?"

Blaine chuckled, his chest rumbling under Kurt's cheek. "Everything unhealthy. Chocolate milk, pancakes with chocolate chips, and a side of toast, with just a hint of grape jelly. And don't even dare give him a glass that's half full with chocolate milk, or a pancake that isn't in the shape of a bird. He's a harsh food critic."

Laughing, Kurt let his eyes flutter shut, "He's going to be a fat, spoiled thing if you keep feeding him like that. But why a bird?"

"It's the easiest animal to make in pancake form." Blaine drew the blankets up to their chins, as his hand started to rub circles into Kurt's back. "Why don't you stay in bed in the morning? You might be sore. _I'll_ cook breakfast. What do you like to eat?"

"Not what Gail's having. It'll go right to my hips. But you'll have to cook for Finn and Puck, too. And they'll eat anything."

"So, they're just like Gail." Blaine kissed the top of Kurt's head again, "Maybe I will feed you something fattening, though. I think you'd look cute with a round bottom." When Kurt kicked his leg, he surrendered, "Okay! Plain, wheat toast and a side of dried berries it is, then."

Despite how he wanted to look angry, Kurt still grinned, as he slowly fell asleep, " _I'm_ not a bird. If you're going to be a nice fiancé, I'll eat a bowl of oatmeal and some _fresh_ fruit. And you know what my favorite drink is. You've been my best friend for eleven years." Peeling open one eye, he gave him a menacing look, "If you get it wrong, I'll doubt everything you've said and done over the time that we've known each other. I'll think our whole friendship was a sham—"

Blaine glowered at Kurt, "Go to sleep, you dramatic, spiteful brat. _I_ know your favorite drink. I even remember when it came out of your nose because I tickled you. Don't doubt me. Look at me… I'm the perfect fiancé. I know what you want before _you_ know what you want—"

"Now you're just flattering yourself."

Smirking, Blaine bowed his head over Kurt's and pressed their lips together, "I love you. Stop glaring, and tell me that you love me."

So Kurt did just that.

* * *

"And they had to wear _dresses._ Finn's was the wrong color for him. He had a light blue dress. I think he's more of a navy blue. Don't you agree?" Kurt cocked his head to the side, so he could see the tan column of Blaine's throat, where droplets of water had gathered.

Tightening his arms around Kurt's stomach, Blaine snorted quietly, his head leaning back on the side of the tub. "Whatever color Finn wears, I don't think that it should be on a dress. He doesn't have the hips for it. But everyone at the party fell for it?"

Kurt giggled, "They had fans to cover their faces. Both of them are so masculine that they argued that I should be the distraction, but I'm the smallest, and was the only one who could fit in the vents. But they were good sports about it. Puck's only complaint was that his dress rode up."

"Gross." Blaine's lips became taut, and he tried to steer the conversation away from the implication that Kurt was talking about Puck's ass. Running his dripping fingers through Kurt's freshly shampooed hair, he bent his head and kissed his waiting lips. "How are you feeling, baby?" After their breakfast, Puck and Finn had offered to take Gail out, having wanted to spend some time bonding their future nephew. This news came as a relief to Blaine, as he had wanted to take some time with Kurt, caring for him, but knew that he wouldn't be able to if Gail was around.

As soon as they left, Blaine had fixed a steaming bath for Kurt and had tended to him, spending some extra attention around his bottom, and making sure that he felt okay. While Blaine touched him down there, Kurt had blushed and wriggled, claiming over and over that he was alright. And once Blaine was convinced, both of them had relaxed into the warm water and had talked quietly, like they used to in high school. "I feel much better." Kurt sighed, his fingers idly stroking the veins in Blaine's arms. "The bath is helping. Does it get easier after the first time? N-Not that last night wasn't amazing—"

Blaine grinned, "I know what you mean, Kurt. And, yes, it does. Your body will be more receptive of mine, once it gets used to my size." Pulling Kurt's head onto his chest, Blaine lowered his chin and dotted kisses all over his brown hair. "Baby, can we talk about something serious?" Mashing his lips together, Blaine considered what he was going to say next, "I want to talk to you about… you know, children. H-How many do you want?"

Smiling, Kurt raised one of his soapy feet above the water and rubbed the top of Blaine's foot with his pruney toes. "I don't know… two or three. Or ten."

"Ten? What, do you hate sleeping?"

Kurt laughed again, the noise like a bell ringing. "Was Gail a good sleeper, dear?"

"Actually… yes, when he was a baby. I know… shocking, right? But I figured out this trick to make him go to sleep, without fail, if he was being fussy. I'd lay him over my shoulder and rub his back, and he'd be out of it within a few minutes. You don't know how upset I was when it stopped working, as he got older." Blaine's chuckle shook Kurt's entire body. "But… really, honey, tell me what you want. I've already been through every stage of parenting. I know what it's like. Do _you_ want to have a baby? Do you want to adopt a toddler? Or… would you rather have a surrogate?"

"I was being honest, when I said two or three." Kurt admitted. "I think that three is a good number. Before we make any decisions, though, I want to talk to Gail. He's still so young, Blaine. He might not understand. He's at that stage in life where everything is confusing. He's growing up so quickly, but he's still a child. I don't want him to feel neglected. Maybe… we could adopt a child that's Gail's age. Gail doesn't have anyone, dear. He doesn't know what it's like to have a friend. If we could find a child with Gail's temperament, and his curious nature, the two of them could get along so well. And, if that goes well, we could look into having a baby. And we could adopt that one, as well."

"I think that sounds really good." Blaine rested his chin on Kurt's shoulder, and nibbled at the side of his neck. "This is crazy. What are we going to do after this, Kurt? I've lost my job. You don't have one. We're trying to start a life off of _nothing._ Where are we going to live when we leave here?"

Kurt shook his head, his eyes lowering to the foamy surface of the water. "I don't know. But at least we have each other, right?"


	7. Irresistible

"Come here, Gail." Kurt cooed to his future son, who had been waddling after his dad into the kitchen, where Blaine was gathering a cup of juice and a bag of sweet crackers for the car ride out to the center of Ohio. The new couple had spent the past few days searching online for their future, and thought that they had found it in a modest home in a safe neighborhood, where they could raise Gail, and their future children. Taking Gail's pudgy hand, he knelt in front of him and adjusted his shirt, before he pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. "You look sleepy. Are you going to take a nap in the car?"

Gail rubbed his puffy eyes, which weren't used to opening so early in the morning. "I'm tired of all of this moving around. When can we stay in one place?"

Blaine returned to the room, and grabbed his son's other hand. "Soon, Gail. We might find a place for us today. Would you like that? This house has a park near it. And it has enough space in it that we could finally get a pet. I know how much you love looking at the birds in the adoption centers."

Just as soon as Blaine reached for the door handle, the basement door swung open, and a dark head inched out. Unique's face was emotionless, his eyes dark, as he ran a tongue over his bottom lip. "Um… are you guys leaving?"

Kurt blinked at his former coworker, "Yes, we're going to look at houses. Unique, are you alright?"

Unique's mouth turned down, his expression becoming stern, "I'm fine… Why do you ask? Listen… I—We need your help, Kurt. With this mission. You're the smallest one of us. You're the only one who can fit in tight places. The extremist group… They're hosting a party tonight, at their main headquarters. They're celebrating the legalization of gay marriage in Alabama. If we can get into that building, we can shut down many of their weapons. But I have a feeling that most of them are hidden in areas that we won't be able to get into easily." His hands curled into fists, as if it bothered him to have to ask this favor of Kurt. "Please."

Looking up at Blaine's emotionless face, Kurt lowered his eyes back to Unique, "What would I… be doing?"

Unique nodded, "Come downstairs with me. Sebastian has the plan."

Kurt let go of Gail's hand, and led the two of them over to the staircase. As they walked down, he noticed his brother and Puck, both attired in sharp suits with ties around their necks. Because he was trained to notice the small details, his eyes snagged on the earpieces that were implanted, and the faint shapes of guns under their jacket lapels. "Sebastian… what's going on?"

The silhouette of Sebastian's form shifted behind the screen, and he started typing on his computer. "Ah… Kurt, thank you for coming down. Like I was telling Finn and Puck, this party couldn't have come at a better time. Because this is an exclusive group that doesn't have many members, all of their weapons are going to be inside of this building. If we can destroy them, they will be less of a threat. At that point, we will be able to go in and reason with them. What I need the three of you to do is dress up like guests. It'll look suspicious if we have you go in all at once, so, Finn, you'll go in first and walk around the first floor. Kurt, you'll dress up as Puck's wife, and you'll go in any vents you find, or anything that's underground. Puck, whatever area is left, you'll search that. Don't let anyone catch you. Each of you will be equipped with a gun, extra bullets, sleeping gas, a knife, a laser, and a grappling hook. You'll also have a headset, so we can communicate. Unique will be standing outside, where he is not seen, if any of you need help."

To Kurt's surprise, Blaine said from behind him, "Why would you make him go underground, if he doesn't want to?" Kurt's head spun around so quickly that he almost gave himself whiplash, and he grabbed Blaine's arm. He shook his head, but Blaine continued, "Why doesn't someone else do it? Just because he's small doesn't mean you have to take advantage of him."

Unique quirked a brow, and sunk his teeth into the knowledge of Kurt's vulnerability, "And who would you suggest do it, instead? All of us will be occupied in other parts of the building. Kurt's a big boy. He can handle it." He turned his face toward Kurt, "Right, Kurt? Sometimes we all don't want to do something, but we do it because we know it's what's right—"

Kurt nodded, keeping his lips sealed shut, but Blaine hunched his back like a prickling cat, "Well, Finn and Puck will be doing something. You won't. You'll be waiting to be needed."

"Blaine—" Kurt pleaded.

Unique crossed his arms over his chest, and even though Blaine had brought up a reasonable point, he disregarded it. "Why are you even down here? You're the one that's not needed. You're not a part of this mission."

"Fine. If you won't do it, I'll go underground."

Unique's head whipped around to Sebastian, "What is this coming to? Sebastian, he's not trained. He won't know what to look for—"

When Sebastian spoke, his voice was steady, "Kurt, you've never told us that you don't want to go underground. But Unique is right… Blaine wouldn't know what to do. And Unique can't go underground if the others need him. Kurt, would it make you feel more secure if Blaine went down with you?" He suddenly brought up a new idea, "What if we sent Gail in with them? The situation would look even more believable, if Blaine and Kurt had a child with them—"

This time, Blaine sounded shocked, "You want to get my _son_ involved? Sebastian, there is absolutely no way I'm taking Gail into a potentially dangerous situation. I won't do it, no matter what you say. He's just a little boy. He has no way of protecting himself."

"I understand if you refuse. But, Blaine, your son will be among four of the best spies in the country. And Kurt's been thoroughly trained. I assure you that Gail won't come into harm's way, and if he does, I'll send Unique in to pull him out of the building. But he could be advantageous to Kurt. With a little boy at his side, he won't be as suspicious." Sebastian paused for less than a second, "Kurt, get into your gear. Your disguise is on that couch. Blaine, what do you say?"

* * *

Kurt propped himself upright as they neared the glass and metal building, which towered three stories high. From where he was sitting, he could see the blade of a helicopter that was perched on the roof. His eyes examined everything of the exterior that he could, and then he twisted around at the sound of Puck cracking his knuckles. The men were dressed very similarly—each one in a black tuxedo, with a different colored undershirt. Blaine and Gail matched entirely, their bowties a dark blue, and their undershirts the color of Kurt's eyes. Unique sat beside of Puck, eyes straightforward, acknowledging nothing. He was wearing a brown wig, and was wrapped in a glittering, green dress that was missing a sleeve on one side.

Donned in a deep blue dress that clung to his curvy hips, and had sleeves that dropped down his arms, Kurt matched the dress with a pair of white gloves, and pair of strappy, blue high heels. A blond, wavy wig sat on top of his head, the crown of it covered by a white, wide-brimmed hat, to hide most of his face. When the limo pulled up in front of the door, Kurt's face blanched, and he waited for the men to climb out of the car. Blaine held his hand out for Kurt, who gracefully took it and slid out, and then waited for his fiancé to pick Gail up. Keeping his posture in mind, Kurt set his hand in Blaine's elbow, and followed him up to the man standing at the door. As the man waved them through, Kurt bowed his head politely, and then continued by at his fiancé's side.

Because Finn, Puck, and Unique didn't want to look odd if they came through with the first group, the limo was going to drive around once, and then stop again. Left by themselves, Blaine and Kurt found themselves faced with a large room that was decorated with round tables, each of them covered in white cloth. People were finding their seats, and picking up the delicacies that had been set in front of them. Before they got too close, Kurt reached up for his ear device and pressed a button. "Sebastian, there's a large room. There are… perhaps a hundred guests here."

"I'm tracking you now." Sebastian's voice said in his ear. "Sit down and listen to what's being said. In a few minutes, excuse yourself to the bathroom, and tell anyone around you that you're going to have your husband take you to it. People will just think you're a ditzy housewife who gets lost easily."

Presenting himself with a winning smile, Kurt walked with Blaine over to a table that was close to a hallway. Blaine pulled his chair out for him, and Kurt sat down, brushing his skirt down. He lowered beside of him, scooping Gail into his lap. Kurt pretended to sweep his gaze over the interior of the building in awe, when he was actually looking for any vents or holes in the walls. A few minutes later, his brother and Puck entered, arms hooked between them, to make it appear as if they were just another gay couple. Finn briefly glanced in his direction, and Kurt watched the two of them walk up to another table and speak to a woman, who seemed all too perky to be at this ceremony. She pointed down a hallway, and the two of them meandered in that direction.

To Kurt's relief, the curtain finally pulled up on the stage, and a man in a gaudy pink suit walked out, his white teeth flashing as he grinned. "Good evening. Thank you to everyone who took time out of his or her schedule to make it here. This community has been such a joy to be a part of. It makes me happy to be a gay man. I am honored to be a part of this group, and that I was able to get together all of the donations to make this ceremony possible. If we can get even more support, we'll have the voice to make it possible to legalize gay marriage in Ohio. But what we have to do first is shut down the main politicians who have been running this state for far too long." The man received a round of groans at that last, and he chuckled, "Yes, Yes, I know. I feel the same way. In case you are not aware, those politicians are Balfour Jeffrey, Millard Royston, and Leighton Anderson. Those men are the voices of a large percentage of this state, and if we can get them to be silent, then _we_ can take over how this state is run. For whatever reason, Leighton Anderson has seemingly disappeared from the public. He has not be seen nor heard from in weeks. But I know that he is still out there, and probably plotting something against us. So, we will just fight harder. We will have more petitions, more protests, even more _riots,_ until they understand that we will not back down. Whether or not we have to get violent, we will be listened to."

It was that one statement that made everything clear to Kurt, who patted for Blaine's thigh to get his attention. Suddenly holding a hand up to his face, Kurt blushingly turned toward Blaine and kept his voice down, but still spoke clearly enough that those around him could hear him. "I have to go to the restroom. Could you take me there? You know my bad sense of direction."

"Of course, dear." Folding his son over his shoulder, Blaine held his hand out for Kurt, who excused himself to those who had started looking at him. They wandered from the room, as the man up front kept speaking about what could be done to solve their predicament. When they reached a narrow hallway that no one was walking down, Kurt picked up his pace, and spoke into his earpiece again.

"Sebastian, they're planning more violent attacks. Blaine and I are searching the building now." Kurt took Blaine into the closest room and shut them inside.

"Damn." Sebastian grumbled, clicking on his computer. "That was just what I didn't want to hear. Okay, be thorough in your search. And be safe."

Putting his hand down, Kurt flicked his eyes around the interior of the room, and finally found a metal vent in the corner. Kurt walked over to the wall, and glanced back at Blaine. "Can you boost me up?" Blaine set his hands on Kurt's hips and heaved him off of the floor, and Kurt peeled up his skirt and dug in the belt he was wearing beneath it. Finding his laser, he held it up and flipped it on. He pointed it at the bolts, quickly melting them down until they broke off and pinged to the ground. He yanked the cover off, and looked inside at the seemingly endless tunnels. "These go through the hallways. They're grated on the bottom. Follow me on the ground." Twisting around, Kurt bent his head and pressed a kiss to Blaine's lips. "Be careful."

Blaine pushed Kurt up into the hole, and Kurt laid his body flat, looking back once more as Blaine whispered, "You, too."

Before Kurt started squirming away, he replaced the cover as best he could, so that nothing looked out of place. Seeing Blaine's face through the openings, Kurt frowned at him, and then wiggled back around. With his forearms against the bottom, he pulled himself forward, and heard Blaine walking behind him. Suddenly, his fiancé's head appeared below him, and when Gail, who was sitting on his shoulder, peered up at Kurt, Blaine whispered for his son to keep his head down, and not draw any attention to Kurt. Trying not to think about the fact that he was trapped in a tight hole, Kurt winced as his arms came down on the hard metal, his dress scraping against the places where the vents were bolted down.

He abruptly jerked his head down again when Blaine stopped, and Kurt stared through the holes as a woman, who must have been returning from the bathroom, paused by him, batting her big eyes. Kurt missed the first thing that she said, but when she rubbed her hand over Blaine's arm, his cheeks became hot. Blaine pulled away from her and told her that he was just looking for the bathroom, and the woman pointed down the hallway. From how high up he was, he missed another few sentences, but he briefly thought about pointing his laser at her when she rubbed up against Blaine again. Finally, she sauntered away, and when her footsteps were out of his earshot, he growled, "Why did you let her flirt with you?"

Blaine looked up at him, his face red from embarrassment, "I couldn't shove her off of me! You told me to look as inconspicuous as I could. I backed away from her." Although he still looked nervous, he grinned, "It's not my fault that I'm handsome."

Kurt curled his top lip up, "Oh, if I was down there with you, I would kick you." Menacingly holding up his laser, he made a satisfied sound when Blaine quickly apologized. He turned his face forward and continued to wriggle, and Blaine kept walking beneath him. After a few more minutes, Blaine paused again, and Kurt glimpsed down at him, gritting his teeth as he hoped that he didn't see another flirt.

Blaine held his hand out to something, "There's a door that I can't get through. It's locked. Does the vent turn to the left?"

"Uh huh." Angling his body in a different direction, Kurt wormed a few feet forward, and then pulled out his laser. He drew a circle into the vent, and caught the piece of metal before it fell. Drawing it back, Kurt peered into the empty room, and opened his mouth at the sight of a room full of guns and dynamite. He climbed over the hole, and then swung his legs out, so he didn't go headfirst. Once he had his legs straightened, Kurt let go, and hit the ground with a plunk. He heard Blaine's voice call for him from the outside, so he turned around and hurried back to the door. Unlocking it, he pulled it open, and watched Blaine make the same face that he had. He shut the door behind him, and pulled a chair in front of it, and then pressed on his earpiece. "They have an entire room full of weapons. Blaine and I are going to destroy them. We'll take the bombs back with us."

Kurt spun around when he noticed Blaine cross the room, his fingers brushing over a gun. "They were going to use these weapons on my dad." He looked back at Kurt, "They were really going to kill him."

Kurt's face softened, "Blaine… I'm sorry. We have to get rid of this stuff." Approaching his fiancé, he grabbed one of the guns and opened it, pouring the bullets back into his hand. He drew out his laser and melted those into a pile of goop, and then pointed it at the trigger on the gun, until it was unusable. All at once, he noticed Blaine slump against a wall, his arms winding around himself. Kurt lifted his head, as he ruined another gun with his laser. "Blaine?"

Blaine shook his head, turning his face away, but Kurt came closer to him. He touched his cheek, tilting his face up to him. Blaine blinked his watery eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I'm being stupid."

Kurt rubbed his nose against Blaine's, "No… talk to me. What is it, Blaine?"

Blaine pressed his lips together, "I just… don't understand how he couldn't care. Before I was a dad, I never really bothered to think about why my dad didn't love me. I just accepted it. I figured that it was just my sexuality that bothered him." Gail, who he had set on the floor, hooked his arms around Blaine's leg, and Blaine reached down to ruffle his curls. "Now that I have Gail, I couldn't think about putting myself in danger, even if it was for something that I really wanted to do. The thought of… not being here, and leaving him without anyone to tuck him in at night, or kiss his forehead, or wipe his tears… it kills me. I would give up everything if I could always be here for Gail. My dad… not only is he putting himself at risk… but he's willing to leave his sons behind, too. He won't even acknowledge the fact that this is real. This extremist group has guns that they're ready to point at his head. And, fine… he doesn't want to give a damn about himself. But I'm his kid. Cooper is his kid. And if he dies… we won't have a dad."

Because Kurt couldn't control what Leighton was going to do, all he could do was wrap his arms around Blaine. "Leighton has never really been a dad for you, anyway, Blaine." He soothed him, scratching his nails over the nape of his neck. "But I've never seen anyone as good to his child as you are to Gail. You love Gail with all your heart. If you were gone, Gail's life would never be the same. But _you_ could go on without Leighton." As Kurt held Blaine, he reopened his eyes, and he furrowed his brows at what looked like an uneven spot in the carpet. Slowly letting go of Blaine, Kurt stepped around him, and he squatted in front of the area. He grabbed the edge of the carpet, which wasn't glued down, and peeled it up, revealing a dark hole in the ground. He took a shaky breath, "This is exactly what I feared we'd find."

Blaine followed him over to the hole, bending over it and wiping his fingers along the dirt. "It's been freshly dug up. The dirt is still loose. Do you want to finish destroying these before we go down?"

Kurt shook his head, "No, we have to explore everything. We can come back up after we look in the hole." Reaching into his bag, Kurt pulled out a flare, and he used his laser to cause a flame. He dropped the blazing stick into the hole, and heard it crack against the bottom just a few seconds later. "It's not very deep… but it is black down there. I wonder what they're keeping down there."

Blaine stroked the back of his head. "Don't be afraid. I'll go down first. Here… Hold Gail." Attaching Gail to Kurt's chest, Blaine held his hand up for the next flare that Kurt lit up. He dropped his feet to the ground, and Kurt could just see the top of his head. When he held his hand up, Kurt took it and scooted over the edge. Blaine hooked his arm around his waist and eased him down, and Kurt clung to his fiancé's neck. Blaine extended the flare in front of him, and pointed it at their surroundings. As far as he could tell, it was just an endless tunnel that had been dug through the dirt, but was holding nothing.

As Blaine started walking forward, Kurt forced himself to keep an eye open, because he'd been trained to spot the little things that Blaine didn't. Gail pushed his face into Blaine's neck. "It's okay, Gail." Kurt didn't know who he was applying that statement to more. "We'll be out in a minute—" His head whipped back when he heard something click behind them, and a chill ran up his spine. His arms tightened around Blaine. "Blaine, what was that?"

"I didn't hear anything, sweetheart." All at once, Blaine came to a screeching halt, his arm squeezing around Kurt's middle. "Oh, shit." He whispered, and Kurt turned his head, his eyes becoming huge as he looked over what was undeniably a dead body. He jerked his head up to Blaine's face, but found he could make no words. Blaine swallowed thickly, "That's Matthew Quigg. He went missing from an Alaskan vacation six months ago. He was strongly opposed to gay marriage."

Kurt's mouth worked to form words, but all he found he could do was push Gail's face back into hiding when he tried to peek out. "No, Gail. Keep your face down—" Kurt didn't finish his sentence before a bullet exploded out of a gun, breezing just by Kurt's ear. Screaming, Kurt ducked the other direction, and looked down the tunnel at the shadowy figure of a man. The man fired again, and Kurt didn't know where that bullet had landed, but he heard a wail break out of Gail, who must have been startled by the noise. Suddenly, Blaine grabbed his waist, and he yanked the gun out of its sheath. He fired blindly in the direction of the man, and Kurt let out a ragged gasp when the man fell forward.

Taking Kurt's hand, Blaine jerked him forward, and climbed out of the hole. Kurt, stepping over the man's body, let Blaine help him out. He grabbed tighter onto Blaine's hand as they started running. Before they left, Kurt grabbed a pack of dynamite and shakily held his laser up to it, and then threw it into the room of weapons. "Run, Blaine! Run!" He shouted, pushing himself faster than he'd ever gone. Whipping around a corner, Kurt shrieked as most of that side of the building was obliterated in one massive explosion.

Feeling the heat hit his back, Kurt kept going, briefly looking back at Blaine to make sure that he was okay. They rushed back into the main room, where people had stood up, all of them looking around frantically. Among the crowd were Finn and Puck, both of them launching themselves over to Kurt and Blaine. Finn yelled at Kurt, "What did you _do?_ "

"Hurry!" Kurt cried, making a break for the doors and shoving through them. On the other side was the limo, Unique waving them out through the window. Hearing a few people trailing after them, he inhaled sharply as bullets whistled around them. When Blaine abruptly jerked back, Kurt turned his head and watched him struggle against a man. Growling, Kurt reached down and yanked one of his high heels off, and he jabbed it into the man's eye. "I hope that hurt you as much as it hurt me!"

He pulled Blaine along, stumbling on his one shoe, and threw himself into the car. Falling back against the seat, he felt relief wash through him as the limo skidded out of the driveway. He started to reach up to his earpiece to let Sebastian know the severity of the situation, when he looked down at Gail, who was still crying and wheezing, his fingers plucking at the back of his shirt. "Gail?" Blaine's voice took on a tone that Kurt had never heard before, and his mouth dropped open when Blaine pulled his shirt up, revealing a deep gash where a bullet had ripped through his shoulder. "Gail!"

Unique, who was the only one who had been trained to do medical work, leaned across his seat, and he touched the swollen skin around the wound. He yelped to the limo driver, "Get us to the hospital _now!_ " He stroked Gail's other shoulder, "Gail, you're okay. Stop pulling at it. Shh… you'll be okay, little guy."

Hesitantly looking up at Blaine, who had tears in his eyes as he kissed the top of his son's head, he whispered, "He's going to live. It didn't go through his ribs. He's going to be fine. I promise."

Blaine looked helpless, water dripping down his sweaty face. Kurt, whose own eyes were moist, reached up for his face and smoothed his curls back. "Please, save my baby." Lowering his face over Gail's, he kissed his nose and murmured, "I'm sorry, Gail. Daddy's supposed to protect you. But you're my little dinosaur. You have tough skin. I'll never put you in danger again."

Kurt's eyes became dark, and he lowered his lids over them. Moisture seeped through the cracks. "This is all my fault. If only I wasn't scared of going underground, you wouldn't have had to come in with me. Blaine… I'm sorry."

Blaine finally gained back enough of his wits to press his forehead to Kurt's, "No… baby, I knew what I was getting into by going down there. If I hadn't been with you, you would have been killed." He turned back to his son and squeezed him tighter, as Gail burrowed into his chest. He gritted his teeth together. "I know who is to blame."


	8. Dark Paradise

Over the next three days, Kurt remained at his fiancé's side, watching over a peacefully resting Gail, who the doctors claimed was steadily healing, and wouldn't even scar. Still, Kurt forced himself to stay awake, his back stiff from hunching over the little boy, and his mouth turned down in a constant frown. Even though he knew that Gail would be okay, his heart still ached for Blaine, whose eyes leaked over his sleeping son, as if all Blaine could think about wasn't the fact that Gail would be released by the end of the week, but that he had let this happen.

And Kurt, even though Blaine had denied it, felt that he only had himself to blame. So, Kurt's sad eyes looked out for the little boy, who was curled up on the hospital bed beside of his dad, who had allowed himself fifteen minutes of sleep, before he startled awake, as if something urgent had happened. Nuzzling his cheek into Blaine's shoulder, he pressed a kiss to the spot, and then lowered his chin onto his chest, feeling it raise and drop as Blaine unsteadily breathed. Salty water dripped down his eyes while he smoothed Gail's unruly curls, whispering gently to the boy when his nose twitched. "I love you, Gail."

Closing his eyes, Kurt started to drift, his eyes batting as he was drawn into exhaustion. His stomach gurgled, but he couldn't bring himself to eat, and his head pounded, but only the certainty that Gail was back to his bouncy, animated self would fix that. It felt like minutes later when Kurt awoke, clasped against Blaine's chest. Smacking his lips, he raised his head up, and glanced at Blaine's face. Blaine was leaning against the metal bars, his face emotionless. Unable to speak to Blaine without getting choked up, Kurt tucked his face back into his shirt, and pretended like he hadn't ever been awake. Seconds later, he went under again.

He was unaware of the time when he came to once more, his vision blurry and his mouth dry. Licking his sticky lips, Kurt shifted upright when someone tapped his shoulder. He found himself still snuggled in Blaine's arms, with Gail next to him, and he realized that it was still happening—it all hadn't just been a horrible dream, his mind vomiting the worst scenario that could happen when it came to his spy work. Turning his head when he realized that it was another person who had woken him, Kurt widened his eyes at the sight of Unique. His dark face was hovering over Kurt's, his eyes unreadable. "Kurt, come on. You need some fresh air."

Looking up at Blaine, who he hadn't been separated from in days, Kurt flinched when Blaine nudged him upward. "You should go." Blaine kept his voice down so he didn't bother Gail, and when he turned his face away, Kurt's eyes almost refilled with tears. Although he knew he should have been expecting rejection—after all, he was the one who had caused all of this—it still felt just as bad as Blaine taking a knife to his throat.

He realized that he couldn't try to plead with Blaine. He didn't have any right to, and the more noise that he made, the more pain that Gail would feel inside of his throbbing head. Staring up at Blaine's face like a wounded puppy, Kurt slowly slunk off the bed and padded after Unique, who shut the door with the smallest click. When he turned toward Unique, he saw him holding out a bag of food. "Blaine called me because he heard your stomach growling. He wasn't sure when the last time you ate was."

Kurt took the food like a zombie, his fingers barely grasping the bag. "Thank you." He said numbly.

Unique's expression flickered for just a second, and Kurt didn't catch what emotion he briefly wore, before it was gone. Without another word, he turned away, and paced down the hallway, as if he couldn't get away soon enough. Because he was finally protected from Blaine's vision, and wasn't near anyone else, Kurt allowed himself to bow his head, his hand rising to his mouth to muffle a rough sob. He started walking, but didn't know where he was going.

Sniffling, Kurt tossed the food into a nearby trashcan, the smell of it making his stomach burble nauseatingly. As he meandered around in what felt like circles, he suddenly noticed Unique's round form standing in front of an elevator. He was impatiently tapping his foot, his arms twisted over his chest. "Unique!" Kurt called through a shaky voice, picking up his feet as he approached Unique, who looked over his shoulder at him. "Unique, are you going home?"

Unique whipped his head away from him, as if he couldn't even meet Kurt's teary eyes. "I don't have anywhere else to go." He stepped onto the elevator, and reached out for a button, when his hand paused. His hollow eyes suddenly rose to Kurt's face, "Why are you staring at me as if you want me to pat you on the head and give you a lollipop?"

Kurt tilted his head to the side, "Can I ride home with you?"

Unique sucked in his top lip, giving that question some serious thought, before he finally sighed. He pointed his thumb into the elevator. "Hurry up." As Kurt climbed inside, Unique jerked his face away, "And would you stop looking at me?" Kurt automatically lowered his eyes to the floor, but still peered at Unique out of the corner of them, watching the way he slumped against the wall, head falling into the crook of his arm, as if it was so heavy it would topple over. Kurt blinked when Unique grumbled, "Kurt… I can _feel_ your big, beady eyes on me."

Finally releasing his trance on Unique, Kurt wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. He tried not to be affected by Unique's obvious annoyance with him, but when he tacked that on with Blaine's refusal to even have him in the same room, his stomach plummeted, and he licked the salty tears off of his lips. When the doors scraped apart, Kurt followed Unique out, noticing how he stayed several feet in front of Kurt, as if he didn't even want people to know that they were together. Kurt scampered after Unique, watching him pull a pair of sunglasses from the depths of his purse and slide them onto his face, concealing his eyes. Unique unlocked the doors to his gray sports car, and stepped into the driver's seat, as Kurt popped into the other side.

Before they rolled out of the parking lot, Unique drew out his phone and opened a text from Puck. Tentatively flicking his eyes back up to Unique's face, Kurt swallowed his fears, since those had been what had gotten him into trouble last time. "Unique?" He asked, voice soft. "Unique, do you love Sebastian?"

The question was so unnerving that Unique let his phone slip through his fingers. As he bent to retrieve it, his hand accidentally landed on his horn. He threw himself backwards, and let out a loud swear. "What kind of question is that?" Unique left his phone on the floor, turning his attention toward pulling the car out of park and backing it out of the parking space. "No, I don't love him—"

"But Sebastian saved your life." Kurt looked away again, his face draining of color. He was so tired of living in a loveless world. The only real affection he'd ever been given, besides from Blaine, had come in the form of his older brother, and even now those emotions were fading away, his smiles coming less often. "Why do you sleep with those other men, if you love Sebastian?"

"I just told you that I don't love him." Unique insisted. "And you don't need to be inquiring about my sex life." Flashing his eyes over to Kurt, he dragged these few words out of himself, as if he was reluctant to continue this conversation, but wanted to know where Kurt was getting these ideas. "What does it matter that Sebastian saved me? I'm merely making it up to him." A large gust of air blew through his nostrils, as he gripped the wheel tighter. "It doesn't matter."

Kurt parted his lips, intending on prying more answers out of Unique, when he waved at him. "Just drop it, Kurt!" As if he had realized that his walls had come tumbling down, Unique built them back up just as quickly. "You wouldn't get it, okay? You and I… We're nothing alike. You've had this cushioned life… Everything's come _so_ damn easily for you. You don't even give a shit about us anymore. You're willing to blow it all away, as if we're nothing more than a speck of dust. We were your _family._ "

Kurt's face became solemn, and when he batted his eyes, an invisible brush painted another tear down his cheek. "You think that I'm not like you because you've never taken the time to get to know me. When you met me, you hated me because I was too young to fight. Now that I'm older, you hate me because I don't want to. Just because you won't let yourself love Sebastian doesn't mean I shouldn't love Blaine." His eyes narrowed, "We're alike, Unique. I had to watch my parents die… and so did you. You've spent years away from Sebastian. I did the same with Blaine. And we both hate what we don't understand… like pain, abandonment… death—"

Unique twisted around, his eyebrows lowered and lips puckered as he prepared another mouthful for Kurt, but he didn't get around to saying it because his phone started ringing. Because he had to keep his eyes on the road, Kurt bent down to collect it for him, and found that his brother was calling. Holding the phone up to his ear, he murmured, "Finn?"

"Kurt—" There was a streak of disappointment in his brother's voice, and he let out a harsh pant, as if he was running from something. "Kurt, give the phone to Unique!"

Raising his brows, Kurt tried to ask his brother what was happening back at the mansion. He heard Puck bark something in the background, followed by the sound of Finn's voice, as he gave orders. Knowing that this wasn't his conversation to have, Kurt slowly passed the phone over to Unique, who took it and pinned it to his ear. Instantly, his eyes narrowed, but he somehow managed to keep the car steady. "W-Wait… Finn, slow down. You're telling me that people are at the wall?" Finn's next statement made Unique jerk his foot off of the gas. "Dammit! That bullet must have been programmed with a tracking device. I told you that we should have taken Gail straight to the hospital."

Kurt tried to comprehend what his brother was talking about, but couldn't get much out of the blurbs that Unique was putting in. "No, I have Kurt with me. He's in the car. Finn, I have to take him back to the hospital. You know that he's the weak link." Unique huffed out this last, without any acknowledgment that Kurt was sitting beside of him. "I know that this is urgent, but if I bring your brother there, he's going to get hurt, or even killed. Just… keep them out for as long as you can. We have guards. Load all of the guns that you can find. The mansion is almost indestructible. It can withstand a lot more than you think. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Ending the call, Unique pocketed his phone, and eased his foot off of the gas, so that he could turn the car around. Kurt, who had ducked his head, mumbled, "What's happening at the mansion?"

Unique's lips tightened, "Because of your mistakes last night, that extremist group was able to implant Gail with a tracking device. When we took him back to the mansion, they located it." He swung his eyes over to Kurt, "Now, they're knocking at our front door. I'm taking you back to the hospital, where you can stay safe, and be out of the way. Inevitably, someone is going to have to die for this to stop."

Kurt's head bowed so low that his chin brushed the collar of his shirt. "I didn't mean to let this happen. When I went down into that hole, I was so scared that I—"

Suddenly, Unique slammed his palm onto the edge of the wheel, "Whether you meant to let this happen or not, it _is_ happening! Your resignation from the company couldn't have come sooner. All you are is a burden, Kurt. Do you realize what this could mean for us? You acted out of emotion. A spy has to be fearless… tough. Why do you think that Finn and Puck haven't settled down yet—?"

Kurt's face flushed, and he found himself reaching out for the steering wheel. He jerked the car back onto the road when Unique went to spin the wheels into a turnaround. "Keep driving!" He yelped, rubbing at his scratchy face as more tears poured out of him. "Go back to the mansion! I _can_ be helpful, but hasn't it occurred to you each of us makes mistakes? We're human, Unique! We're not robots! I've just come to that realization sooner than my brother or Puck has. _I_ saved Blaine and Gail's lives last night—"

"You were the reason they were in danger. You let yourself get caught, and then you pissed all of them off by blowing up their building. What do you call that?"

Leaning his head against the window, Kurt muttered, "I'm not fighting for Leighton's sake anymore."

* * *

Blaine's head lolled against the metal bars on the bed, his eyes sagging, as he clutched his baby to his chest. To keep himself awake, he softly hummed to himself and Gail, who seemed to have heard his dad's pacifying voice, and had curled himself up tighter, his fingers grabbing at his shirt. Looking down at Gail, Blaine wondered what he would have done had that bullet shattered his ribs and pierced his heart. And then he hacked those thoughts back up, because he couldn't bear it.

Abruptly, the world came crashing back down on him when a tiny hand patted his neck, searching for his stubbly face. He cocked his head, his tired eyes meeting the round, hazel eyes of Gail, who looked disoriented, even frightened, but hopeful, because he was clasped in his dad's arms. It took Blaine a second to react, but he suddenly hugged his son closer, whispering into the crown of his head, " _Gail…_ Daddy was so scared!" Kissing all over Gail's small, confused face, Blaine felt himself weep, tears falling out of him with nowhere to collect but on Gail's cheeks, since his face was just below his. "You're safe, beautiful boy. I'll never endanger you again. I love you so much."

Gail blinked several times, his hand cupping Blaine's cheek, and then he turned his head to both sides. All at once, water flooded his eyes, and he let out a quiet mewl, like a hungry kitten. "I w-want Kurt _and_ Daddy. Where's Kurt?" Kicking his legs, Gail didn't settle until Blaine rocked him back and forth, finally remembering that Kurt had left the room when Unique had brought him food. Due to a lack of proper sleep, and the heightened feelings that had been surging through him, Blaine had spent the last few days in an oblivious state, only picking up on when Gail made an unusual motion against him—like a twitch, or a shortened breath. Figuring that he must have left nearly an hour ago, he pondered why he hadn't returned.

Hushing Gail, Blaine swept his arm out and grabbed his phone, which he'd been abandoned on the table after trying to sleep with an uncomfortable, hard lump against his thigh. He tapped the screen on, and raised his brows when he realized that his fiancé hadn't even texted him. Flipping through a few more screens, he clicked on Kurt's number and pressed the phone to the side of his face. Gail made a grab for it, but Blaine let him hold onto one of his hands, instead, and felt the little boy stick his mouth on his knuckles. As Gail slobbered on him, Blaine swallowed when the line picked up, and Kurt whispered, "Blaine?"

Blaine furrowed his brows at the banging in the background, and peeled the phone slightly off of his face. "Kurt… w-where are you, baby? You've been gone for a while. Do you want me to come get you?"

"No." Kurt sniffled, the sound making Blaine wrinkle his forehead. "B-Blaine, I'm back at the mansion. Unique told me to sit in the backyard, because I would be nothing but trouble. The extremist group has come here… They're trying to get inside. They're trying to bust down the wall. They've already shot down three of our guards." His voice melted into nothing more than a watery squeak, and Blaine heard his footsteps crunching across the grass. "They're going to overpower my brother and Puck. They'll kill them. I'm g-going to go underground, and detonate the bombs we've been keeping for emergencies like this one—"

"Wait, Kurt." Blaine lurched forward, his stomach seizing up from the lack of food he'd been putting inside of it. "No, no, no… don't detonate anything. Don't touch _anything._ Stay where Unique told you to." Because of the tour that Kurt had once given him of the mansion, Blaine had been inside of the underground tunnels, which had been built years before Sebastian took over to stash barrels of dynamite, and to provide secret passages in and out of the mansion, in case someone did break in. The tunnels were dark and dingy, because no one ever used them, and had the faint scent of rusty blood. Blaine groaned when he heard another few footsteps, "Kurt, _stop moving._ "

When Kurt spoke, his voice sounded farther away, and Blaine's face blanched at the screech of a metal door swinging open. He threw his legs off of the bed, even though he knew that he'd be too late to get there. "I-I can't keep being the reason that everyone is hurting, Blaine. If I stay hidden in the tunnels, these men will never know that I was coming. I would be able to kill all of them before they reach my family—"

"Kurt, you're not hurting anyone." Blaine was so desperate that his words rushed out in one breath. He found himself winded. "Gail's awake now, sweetheart. And he's not angry with you. He loves you… I can put him on the phone with you. He'll tell you himself. Please… Please, Kurt. Don't get into that tunnel. You'd never be able to outrun the bomb." Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he realized that Kurt wasn't paying any mind to what he was saying. "This isn't your fault. Don't sacrifice yourself. Please… I-I need you."

"I love you." Blaine's stomach dropped like a brick when it struck him that Kurt was saying goodbye. "Blaine… i-if I don't live through this, I want you to marry someone else. Someone with a nice laugh… someone who understands your sense of humor. Someone who will cook you your favorite dinners, and kiss you when you get home after work. Marry someone who will hold Gail in his arms, and tuck him in at night. Someone who will kiss his cheeks, and wipe his tears when he's sad. Can you promise me that?"

"No." Blaine muttered, his eyes widening to the size of saucers when he heard Kurt toying with what couldn't have been anything but the bombs. "Kurt… I'm not going to lose you." Without another word, Blaine ended the call, and scrolled through his contacts, until his finger hit another name. He held the phone up to his ear again, and swore when the call went straight to his voicemail. "Dammit, Unique!" He tossed the phone to the bed, as his hand slapped his face. He launched himself off of the bed, turning back to Gail, who was tilting his head from side to side like a bemused puppy. "Daddy has to go, Gail. I'll get a nurse to sit in the room with you. You're going to be okay, I promise." He bent to kiss his son's forehead, and then darted from the room.

Because he didn't have time to wait for an elevator, Blaine jumped the stairs three at a time, startling a woman who was climbing them with a bundle of towels in her arms. He shouldered through the main doors in the lobby, as he barked over his shoulder that a nurse was needed in his son's room, and then he faced the parking lot. Picking the car that seemed like it would go the fastest, Blaine struck his knuckles against the glass and shattered it after a few blows. He ignored the blood that squirted from the slits in his reddened, puffy skin. Reaching in, he unlocked the door, and climbed inside. "What did Kurt say?" He leaned over, grasping the wires in his hand, and ripping apart two of them. When he pressed them together, he enlarged his eyes as the car started with a purr.

He grabbed the steering wheel with more pressure than was necessary, and whispered, "I'm going to save you, Kurt… just like you saved me."

* * *

Kurt stood beneath the clunking feet of the men who meant to kill him, his trembling hands holding onto a lighter and a bomb. As he listened to another hammer thwack the crumbling wall, Kurt flinched, his eyes squeezing shut. A snivel broke out of him, making a bubble of snot pop onto his nose. He wiped his face, slowly bending and letting his knees catch all of his weight. He held the bomb in front of him, rubbing his finger on the timer that was attached to it, and hoping that it still worked, after more than ten years of sitting down here and dusting away.

Spinning the dial, Kurt stopped it on three minutes, knowing that would be enough time for him to do what he had to inside of the mansion, and to keep the men above him from breaking in. "Please work." Kurt's voice shook as he held his hand out, snapping his thumb over the knob on the lighter. "My parents told me to be brave. My family is depending on me." He closed his eyes. "If I die, at least they'll be safe."

Without hesitating for another heartbeat, Kurt waved the flame over the wick on the bomb, and watched it eat the tip, causing it to curl up and then drift to the ground, nothing more than a piece of black char. Jolting to his feet, he tore off down the tunnel, taking the long route because his closest exit was the one that opened up to the front yard. His heart raced as he tried to outsmart the bomb, and when it didn't instantly explode, he let out a cry of relief, because the timer hadn't failed.

Finally reaching the ladder, Kurt hopped up, swinging his legs out of the hole and bursting into the basement. As if he had sensed his entrance, Sebastian stopped typing on his computer. "Sebastian!" Kurt choked, forcing himself up and wincing his leg throbbed, obviously because he'd landed on it the wrong way. "Sebastian, get up!"

Persuaded by the desperate tone of Kurt's voice, Sebastian's silhouette rose. "Kurt? Unique said that you were in the backyard. It isn't safe in here—"

"Sebastian!" Darting over to the partition, Kurt briefly paused, his hands frozen in front of it. Tears trickled down his face, his breath coming too rapidly. "Sebastian… you have to get out of here. A bomb is about to explode. You'll die if you stay in here."

"A bomb?" Sebastian sounded alarmed. "Kurt, you set off a bomb?"

"I wish that everyone would stop questioning me! I know what I'm doing!" Throwing his cares away, Kurt grabbed the top of the partition and flung it down, hearing it hit the floor with a thud. All at once, his eyes met the pale green eye of a man who looked like he'd just been told the world was going to end. His other was sealed shut behind a layer of pasty pink skin. Kurt didn't take the time to look over the rest of Sebastian's face, because he took his hand and dragged him out of his hiding spot. "Tell the others to get out of the building! Leave through the back, so you don't get hurt by those men."

When Kurt ran away from Sebastian, he shouted after him, "Kurt, where are you going?"

"There's something I have to do! I can handle this!" Not looking back at Sebastian, Kurt sped up the stairs and through the main room, catching the attention of the three who were waiting for the people outside to burst in. He heard Finn's voice yelping at him, but he disregarded his brother's franticness. When he reached his bedroom, he yanked open the drawer and pulled out the picture of Gail's mom, as well as the photo album that was filled with Gail, from the time he was born, to now. Sticking those under his sweaty arm, Kurt burst back out of the room, counting down the last minute he had before the bomb ruptured.

Hearing Sebastian demanding that the other three leave the house immediately, Kurt went down another hallway, and paused in front of the room that they had moved Leighton to. He opened the door, and found him strapped into his chair, his head slumped over. "Leighton," Kurt rushed over to him, unbinding his wrists and helping him up when he started to stagger away. "Leighton, we have to get out of here. The building is about to be destroyed."

Leighton nodded, letting Kurt pull him out of the room and into the basement because his legs were too weak to support him, after weeks of sitting in one position. When they stumbled off of the last step, Kurt glanced up at the vent, which he knew led outside, and would keep them safe in case the bomb went off. Going down into the tunnels at this point would only get them killed. They only had one choice. "We'll have to go up in the vent."

Because the vent was low enough for Leighton's tall form to be able to climb into with ease, Kurt pulled his laser from his pocket and melted off the bolts. Every second that he stood there felt like another that was ticking off toward his inevitable death. Finally, the cover popped off, and Kurt looked over his shoulder at the building one last time as Leighton pushed himself up. When he turned back, he held his arms up, "Leighton, help me up! I can't push myself up that high."

Kurt whipped his head around at the disconcerting beep that meant that the countdown was nearing its end. He anxiously extended his hands toward Leighton, "Please, hurry! There are only thirty seconds!" All at once, as Leighton started to writhe backwards, Kurt's eyes blew out of proportion, and a scream bellowed out of his sore throat. "Leighton! You can't leave me here to die! _Please!_ " Leighton turned his face away, and Kurt's heart hardened into stone, as he glanced around for anything he could jump from. But then reality came reeling back in his head, and Kurt slowly let go, sinking onto his knees as he realized that it was too late. Forcing himself to be peaceful during his last few breaths of life, Kurt let his eyes flutter shut, and he removed himself from the present. "At least I saved them." Kurt assured himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips as the floor crumbled beneath him, and the walls caved in, letting the ceiling come smashing down on top of him.

* * *

Unique waited, with the rest of them, on the outside of the wall, huge eyes staring up at the vent as they waited for Kurt to crawl out, his small body wriggling free, and just covered in a little dust. His heart pounded faster than it ever had before, as he let himself hope for the first time in years. His look was reflected on all of their faces, but especially Finn's, and Sebastian's, who had always had a fond place for the smallest and youngest of the three they had recruited years ago. Until Sebastian touched his wrist, Unique wasn't aware that he'd been whispering, over and over, "Please, be okay. Please come out." He glanced over at the man who he had once kissed, and in that kiss had shared more emotions with than anyone he'd slept with, and saw tears sliding out of the one eye that was still open.

The entire left half of Sebastian's face was pulled downward, like a melted ice cream cone, his skin fleshy and pink, blotchy, as if he'd taken pieces of it off and sewn them back on where he thought they were supposed to be. He could only move part of his mouth, the left corner of it permanently sealed shut. As Sebastian stared at him, Unique moved closer to him, and wound his arms around him, "I was so wrong to doubt him. I don't want him to die, Sebastian."

Sebastian slowly wrapped his arms around him, the most contact they'd had since their first kiss. Unique felt something inside of him break apart, and he draped himself against Sebastian's chest. Suddenly, his head jerked back up when the wall cracked in the center, and then completely busted apart. Although only a portion of it—where the vent sat—was above the ground, Unique angled his head so he could see it tumble to the ground, taking the top floor with it. A rough noise broke out of him, but just as the vent snapped away from the ground and started to fall, a slender body wormed its way out of it. Unique's heart sank when he realized that it was only Leighton. That was when he comprehended that, despite all of the agony that Leighton had put them through, Kurt had gone back to rescue him. Puck rushed forward and grabbed Leighton's arms, yanking him free, and when they thought that Kurt would pop out, too, the metal vent swung backwards and smashed into the pile of rubble at the bottom of the deep hole in the ground. Unique's lips parted, but he could suddenly make no sounds.

Puck jerked Leighton upright, shouting into his wincing face, " _Where is he?_ " He violently shook Leighton's shoulders. Suddenly, Finn ran around the side of what had once been a home, and looked around expectantly, as if he wanted to see that Kurt had gone around to the front of the building and escaped. Puck's voice grew louder when Leighton refused an answer, " _Where is Kurt, you piece of shit?_ "

Leighton scowled, "I left him behind, you barbarian. You men have tortured me for _weeks._ I've had enough of it! When the little one asked me to help him into the vent, I left him in there—" He abruptly stopped speaking when Finn, whose face had turned cold, and eyes were about to bulge out of his head, stalked up to him and cracked his hand across his face.

When he pulled back, he brought his hand up to his mouth, as his eyes filled with tears. "You mean that my little brother is…" His eyes flicked to the slabs of walls and roof that had piled on top of each other, each one so heavy that whatever was stuck beneath them was squished under the weight of an elephant. "He's in there?"

Leighton, again, turned his face away, not looking the least bit sorry for what he'd done. Finn suddenly collapsed to his knees, burying his face in his hands as he wrecked his face with saliva and salty tears. Puck dragged Leighton up higher, so their eyes met, drew a knife from his pocket. " _You stupid fuck!_ He saved your life, and you let him die! I'm going to kill you—!"

"No, Puck!" Unique wobbled forward, his voice airy as his cheeks were stained with his own high emotions. "Don't kill him! Kurt saved him for a reason. If you kill him, you'll be letting Kurt d-die in vain. Let's just send him to prison." He struggled to say those words, and felt relief rush through him when a car screeched up to the skeleton of the mansion—the lifeless remains of it. Blaine was sitting in the front seat, his face unusually pale. He staggered out of it, and his eyes flicked to each of their faces. "Blaine—"

"Where is he?" Blaine looked like he was on the verge of panic, as his eyes searched the group of them, and then returned to the mansion. When no one answered him, he spoke louder, "Where is Kurt? Dammit, answer me!"

Sebastian bowed his head, "Blaine, he sacrificed himself to save our lives."

Unique saw Blaine convulse, as if he couldn't hold himself upright, but then he turned back to what was left of the mansion. "Help me! Get this off of him—!"

"Blaine! Hey!" Puck grabbed the back of Blaine's shirt, "Blaine, no! Kurt's _gone._ He couldn't have survived that. None of us wants to see… what's left." Finn made a ragged sound at that, biting his knuckles.

Blaine narrowed his eyes at Puck, "Get your hands off of me right now, or I will _take_ them off." When Puck finally released him, he knelt over the first layer of rubble, and started dragging a large chunk of the roof to the side. Nobody spoke as Blaine kept grabbing and pulling, each of them wincing as the structure shuddered and shifted as weight was taken off of it.

Unique laid his forehead on Sebastian's shoulder, breathing unsteadily. "Sebastian… please don't go back into hiding after this. I can't take it anymore." When he lifted his watery eyes, he found that Sebastian was staring back at him. "What are we going to do after this?"

"Keep trying." Sebastian, always the levelheaded one, encouraged Unique. "That's all we can do. Let go of me, sweet. I'm going to help Blaine. Whether Kurt is alive or not, this will help his peace of mind… to know." Once Unique reluctantly released him, Sebastian approached Blaine and sank beside of him. He helped him scrape aside a piece of metal, its source unrecognizable. Unable to bear the tense silence, Sebastian raised his head as he lifted another piece, wondering how long Blaine could keep this up. "Blaine…" Blaine didn't even acknowledge that he'd spoken, but Sebastian knew that he had heard him. "You didn't know Kurt for long before he was taken in by Unique and me… but you did love a very special boy. Kurt will always have a place in my heart. He meant a lot to me."

Suddenly, Blaine slowed down his rapid movements, and he released the piece that he was working on. He stood up again, and Sebastian watched him step between two large portions of the wall. He brushed aside some smaller bits, and bent down, his hands meeting Kurt's skin. Kurt had somehow managed to wedge himself under a tent of rubble, two pieces of wall leaning against each other, with him curled up beneath them. To Sebastian's surprise, Kurt was only covered in a spackling of bruises and cuts, rather than being chopped in half—the worst circumstance he thought they could have discovered. Making a rough noise, Blaine scooped Kurt up and cradled him against his chest, his fingers searching his small face, and sliding down to his next. When they brushed over an especially sensitive area that had always been ticklish to Kurt, the small boy let out a soft cough, before nuzzling deeper into Blaine's shirt.

An unattractive noise escaped Blaine, as he ducked his head and rubbed it against Kurt's cheek, speckling him in kisses and tears. Turning back to the group, Blaine carried him out of the debris, and held him up for Finn to run over and look at. Finn hugged his brother close, as Kurt batted his eyes and examined their smiling faces. Puck also swarmed him, and then Sebastian, whose mouth had popped open, and was turning upright into the brightest smile Unique had ever seen it become. Puck and Finn let Sebastian between them, and Sebastian cupped Kurt's chin, lowering his face so he could press a firm kiss onto his forehead.

A genuine feeling of happiness filled Unique, who was the last to approach, his hands also sliding around Kurt's tired face. Kurt blinked up at him, his head falling against Blaine's chest. Without a word, Unique bent over and coiled his arms around him. Suddenly, Kurt flinched when Puck accidentally brushed against his leg, but all they could do was cry giddily, because Kurt had a broken leg, and not a broken body.


	9. Bullet

Over the next two months, Kurt, Blaine, and Gail resided in the apartment that Puck and Finn had rented out. Although it was cramped, and there was never quite enough food in the kitchen, they made do, while Finn and Puck worked on setting up the garage they'd bought, and had decided to run like Burt used to run his. Kurt had sent in an application to five different fashion agencies, while Blaine had had multiple interviews with several elementary schools, where he was trying to become a counselor.

None of them had seen Unique or Sebastian in weeks, although Kurt called them often, and had once spent more than an hour on a call with Unique, who he found was very easy to bond with once he took down all of his walls. The two of them laughed, and gawked about some of the fashion statements that magazines put out. When things were starting to look hopeless, both of them had a breakthrough, and they were called back about two openings.

Another month passed that both of them spent at their new jobs, letting their incomes accumulate over a few weeks before they were able to afford a down payment on a humble house that was in the middle of both of their works, giving them an even amount of time of driving. Kurt found that his talents were best suited in the fashion world, where he quickly gained the interest of his manager, and was promoted to the position of a designer. Blaine also thrived at his job, where he could watch over Gail as he wandered through the hallways in his new school. Both of them seemed happier, now that they were together, and Blaine would often come home laughing, claiming that Gail couldn't keep his nose out of his office.

After they moved into their new house, things became much easier for Kurt, who, although he missed being closer to his other family members, knew that they were just around the corner. The changes started to become natural, and he found that he loved having his privacy with his fiancé and his future stepson. But that was when everything flipped upside down again when, as Blaine and Kurt lounged in each other's arms on the couch, with Gail next to them, and his eyes zoned in on the cartoon that was playing on the TV, all three of them shifted around at the sound of a knock on the door. Scooting Kurt off of his chest, Blaine flung his legs off of the couch and stood, walking over to the door. Because the house was built with an open floor plan, Kurt was able to see whom Blaine was opening the door to. His eyes flew open wide when Unique and Sebastian appeared on the other side. "Unique! Sebastian!"

Unique, for the first time in years, was glowing, his smile deep and sincere, as he held his arms out for Kurt. "Kurt!" Kurt flung himself into Unique's arms, as Sebastian and Blaine exchanged back slaps. The two of them giggled, and Unique swung him around, until he pulled away to greet Gail. Gail, who had pattered over, shyly hid behind Kurt's legs, hooking his arms around them. "Hi there, little guy. I have a present for you." Kneeling in front of him, Unique held out a bag of sugar cookies. "I made these last night, because I knew we'd be coming to see you today. Do you like these cookies?"

"He likes _all_ cookies." Kurt laughed, encouraging Gail to take the cookies with a few taps to his shoulder. "Tell Unique thank you, Gail. It's okay, sweetheart."

As Gail opened the bag of cookies, he turned his wide, hazel eyes up to his face. "Thank you for the cookies, Unique. Papa, can I eat a cookie now?"

"Yes." Kurt rubbed the top of his head. "Go on and finish your cartoon. But only eat one of the cookies. You'll spoil your dinner." After Gail scampered away, Kurt helped Unique back up and gave him a kind smile. "He's such a nice boy, isn't he? We're trying to help him with his shyness." Realizing that Blaine and Sebastian had finished their conversation, he looked between their two guests. "Will you two be visiting for long? I can put tea or coffee on."

"Don't bother yourself, Kurt." Sebastian said politely, as he slid an arm around his waist and hugged him to his side. Sebastian was built very similarly to Kurt, with a wiry body, his head just a few inches higher than Kurt's. The only difference was that his muscles were more toned than Kurt's, and his waist was skinnier. "We just wanted to give a neighborly greeting."

Kurt squinted, "Neighborly?" Returning to his fiancé's arms, he backed up so Unique and Sebastian could come in completely. "What do you mean?"

Unique was so excited that he couldn't hold it in anymore, "We've moved in two streets away."

When Kurt's mouth dropped open, Sebastian winked, "Just don't blow anything else up. I don't want my house to be damaged by your destructive tendencies." Unique suddenly elbowed his ribs, and his eye widened. "Oh! I almost forgot… Now, about that wedding you've been planning with Blaine—" He held up Unique's left hand, showing off the golden ring that he had given to him after his proposal. While Kurt gasped and pinched Unique's plump fingers between his slender ones, Blaine made a face, because he couldn't yet afford an engagement ring.

* * *

After selling off the five acres of land where the mansion used to sit, Sebastian planned a trip out to New York City, where both of the new couples planned to marry. Kurt and Unique had always wanted to go, but because of the complications that they couldn't control, neither of them had even been out of Ohio. Finn and Puck also tagged along, as well as Gail, who was as jittery as Kurt for the whole plane ride. The only vacation that Blaine had ever been able to afford for the little boy was a daytrip to a waterpark, which closed down a year later.

As soon as they arrived in the city, Sebastian had already called to have a car waiting for them, and while Kurt was expecting to see one of the cramped rental cars, what he found was a silver sports car, rented out from a nearby dealership. Kurt sometimes forgot how wealthy Sebastian was, after he'd inherited multimillions of dollars from his deceased father. When Gail, who had been waddling beside of his dad, scampered ahead and slapped his hands over the doors, Sebastian chuckled, "Is this exciting, Gail? For your sixteenth birthday, I'll buy you whatever sports car you want." He chased after Gail and scooped him up, setting him on his shoulders. When they reached the car, he turned back to Blaine and handed the squirming boy over. "Why are you so wiggly, Gail? You're not a worm!"

Kurt glanced to the side at Unique, who was smiling fondly at his fiancé. "He's very good with children. Have you talked about having any?"

"Hm… a little." Unique shrugged. He turned to Kurt, and gave him a wry grin. "Don't tell Finn and Puck, but he always loved you best. He thought that you were the most spectacular child he'd ever met. He's protective over you, because you were so young when you came in."

"He's always cared for me like my dad used to. Sebastian's kind of like a fatherly figure to me. He watched out for me… cared for me. I'll always love him for what he did for me."

Two hours later, Unique and Kurt were abandoned at a high-end outfitter, which offered an assortment of wedding attires, and multiple cases of jewelry. After dropping them off at the door, Sebastian had handed each of them five thousand dollars to spend however they pleased. Entering the store with their elbows hooked together, they were greeted by a young woman in a pencil skirt and blouse, "Good evening. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

Unique pointed between the two of them, "He and I are getting married… n-not to each other. Our fiancés just dropped us off. We're looking for tuxedos, and wedding rings. We both have five thousand each. Is there anything we can get for that price?"

The woman's eyes widened with interest, "Absolutely. Why don't both of you come over here and look over our collection? If we don't have something in your size, we'll order it. Let me get my measuring tape." Taking the yellow, bendy tape from the top of a table, she held it up to Kurt's waist first, wrapping it around him. "You are very stunning." She told him, making his cheeks color. "And you're slender. You have the figure that fashion loves. What kind of look did you want to go for?"

"Um… well…" Kurt tapped his chin, looking helplessly at Unique. "Maybe something form fitting. A black suit. With a blue undershirt… something to complement my eyes. And a bowtie. It has to be a bowtie." Excusing himself from the conversation when his phone rang, he pulled it out of his pocket and saw that Blaine was calling. He pressed the phone to his ear, as the woman moved on to Unique and measured him, "Blaine? How are things going?"

"Not so great." Blaine's voice was tinted with amusement. " _I've_ found my suit. But Gail has somehow, in this entire store, picked out the most atrocious thing I've ever seen. It's the gaudiest green suit, and a purple undershirt. He insists that he _has_ to have it… that he'll keel over without it. He would make a very good businessman. He's persistent." Suddenly, Blaine said away from the phone, "Aren't you, Gail? My baby is a little pest when it comes to getting what you want. No, don't use those big eyes against me."

Kurt giggled, "Tell Gail that if he picks out a black suit with a blue undershirt and a blue bowtie, he can match what I'll be wearing. If that doesn't work, just let him have what he wants. If nothing else, looking at him will just give me a relief from my nerves on our wedding day."

"We'll probably be another half hour. We'll be by to pick you up afterward. Sebastian's going to treat us to dinner. I love you."

"Love you, too." Kurt clicked out of the call, and then turned back to the woman, who was handing a pile of clothes to Unique. "Um… do you think you have anything for me?"

"Of course." As she rifled through the clothes, she twisted back to him with a kind smile, "Your fiancé is a lucky man."

Kurt leaned against the wall, "I feel lucky to have him. I've been waiting forever to be with him."

* * *

Kurt and Blaine, and Unique and Sebastian, were married two days later, in a small ceremony that included only the four of them, and Finn, Puck, and Gail as their witnesses. Because neither Unique nor Kurt had parents to walk them up the aisle, Puck and Finn escorted them, Unique on Puck's arm, and Kurt on Finn's. The four of them followed Gail, who was skittering up to his dad as if it was a race. Kurt couldn't help but smile at the small boy, who was clutching the rings as if they would be lost forever if he let go. When he reached Blaine, he tackled his legs, making Blaine chuckle as he bent and smoothed the ruffled boy out.

They were wed in a small, enclosed park, which had a wrapping of trees around it. To ensure that they would have some privacy, Sebastian had taken the extra step to rent it out, not even flinching when he was told how much of a dent it would make in his wallet. Sebastian stood beside of Blaine, eyes set on Unique, while Blaine watched Kurt. Before they reached the shady tree that Blaine was standing under, with light streaking over his body as if he were glowing, Finn bent his head and kissed Kurt's forehead. "Hey… Dad would have been really proud of you. Thanks for letting me take his role. I know that he would have wanted to do this."

Smiling from ear to ear, Kurt nuzzled under his brother's chin, "Love you, Finn."

Finn snorted, a puff of air blowing through his nostrils, "I love you, too. Just because we're apart, though, doesn't mean that I'm not always watching, because I am. _Always_ watching. You can't get away with anything. You're still my baby brother, and even though you're getting married, Blaine still can't touch you."

Kurt's eyes widened, "At all? Oh, dear. He won't like to hear that."

Finn chuckled, "He can poke you. And give you a kiss… every now and then. Once a month, maybe. But that's all he gets. If he tries any funny stuff, I'll punch him."

Giggling, Kurt whispered in his ear, as they drew closer to Blaine, "That's okay. Blaine doesn't have a sense of humor. He would never try any funny stuff." Suddenly finding himself face to face with his fiancé, Kurt felt his expression become solemn, as he stared into Blaine's adoring eyes. Looking over at his brother, Kurt squeezed his arm tighter, as he pushed him up to Blaine. Finn pressed another kiss to his forehead, and told Blaine to be good to him, and then backed away, forcing himself to not pull his brother back.

Kurt flicked his eyes back up to Blaine's face, nipping his bottom lip when Blaine offered his hand. When he placed his in Blaine's, he felt himself get tugged forward, until the front of him was sealed against Blaine, a strong arm locked around his waist. With his nose rubbing Blaine's, Kurt batted his moist eyes, which lowered briefly to Gail, and then returned to Blaine. "Hi," was all he could whisper, his voice strangled.

"Hi." Blaine cupped the side of his face, his leathery thumb stroking the shell of his ear. Tilting Kurt's head to the side, he placed his lips just over Kurt's, which were slightly parted, as he waited for the first brush of contact. Just when Kurt thought the touch of his lips wouldn't come, Blaine closed the distance, and kissed him feverishly, their lips popping and sucking. Kurt's eyes drifted shut, as his body sank against Blaine's. In between kisses, Blaine whispered, "There are two of us hardheaded men. Unique is lucky. He just has Sebastian. If you choose to marry me, you'll be taking both of us on."

Pulling away from Blaine, Kurt glimpsed back down at Gail, who was grasping his dad's pants, his large, hopeful eyes shining up at Kurt. Suddenly, he held his arms up, silently asking to be held. Even though he didn't completely understand what this ceremony meant, he seemed to be happy that it was happening. Kurt bent and wrapped his arms around Gail, bringing him up against his chest. Hugging the child close, Kurt heard him mumble in his ear, "Please, don't leave me and Daddy. I won't be any trouble! If you marry Daddy, it'll be like you're marrying _me!_ And I want to be married to you!"

Kurt and Blaine laughed at that, and Blaine stroked his son's fluffy hair. "Of course I'll marry you, Gail." Sloppily kissing his round cheek, Kurt felt his face brighten as Blaine slid two rings onto his finger. "But I wouldn't have you any other way than the troublesome boy that you are. You and your daddy have given me so many headaches, but I wouldn't love you as much if you didn't!" When Blaine drew his face back up and kissed him firmly, Kurt pulled away, breathless, " _I'm_ the lucky one to have both of you."

With tears in the corners of his eyes, Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and Gail, holding his small, broken family. Kurt reached down for Blaine's hand and shakily slid a ring onto his finger, and before he could pull it back, Blaine snatched it. When their fingers laced together, and their rings clacked, Kurt realized that he had just made a little family for himself, with a husband and a child to hug and kiss. Smiling, he buried his face in Blaine's chest, and listened to a bird chirp above their heads.

* * *

It wasn't until later that night that the newlyweds made it back to their hotel room, which had a different vibe to it now that they were married. As they stepped off of the elevator, Blaine and Kurt both paused, and Kurt licked his lips as he stared at the door. A funny feeling made his stomach roll from side to side. Checking Blaine's expression, Kurt noticed an unusual flush that was spreading from his face down to his neck. He blinked at Gail, who was resting against his dad's chest, and rubbing his sleepy eyes.

Suddenly, Sebastian and Unique, who had been laughing the entire way home, paused in front of their room, neither of them looking the least bit nervous. Unique waved goodnight, while Sebastian tried to drag him inside. Puck and Finn stopped with Blaine and Kurt, eyeing them carefully, when Blaine held his son out. "Um… Finn, can you take Gail for the night?"

"Why—?" Finn asked, obliviously, and then choked when Puck punched him in his stomach. All at once, his face looked like a scorching hot pepper, painted a perfect red. "Oh." His eyes flicked between Kurt and Blaine, the former refusing to acknowledge his brother's existence. "Yeah… we can take the little guy. Come here, Gail."

Gail easily went to his uncle, hanging off his neck like a monkey. After kissing his parents goodnight, Gail let them carry him into their room, which stunk like sweat and body spray. Left in the hallway with Blaine, Kurt pursed his lips, unable to even look at his husband. They hadn't had sex since the first time, and Kurt wondered how routine it would be—if Blaine would be the one to initiate it, or if he expected Kurt to do something. "Um…" Kurt started to say something, but cut his words off when Blaine pressed his knuckles to his flushed cheek, making Kurt cock his head to the side. Blaine's mouth lowered to Kurt's neck, and he pressed a single kiss to his fluttering pulse, and then it all made sense to Kurt.

Whipping his head back around, Kurt reached up for Blaine's face and grabbed it between his hands. Their mouths collided, tongues battling for dominance, as Blaine backed him into the door. His back hit it with a thud, and he let out a whimper when Blaine pulled back, having to look through his wallet for their card. Peppering kisses all over the dark skin on Blaine's throat, Kurt felt his arm wind around him, as he pushed the card in and threw the door open. Had Blaine not been supporting him, Kurt would have fallen backward. Suddenly, Blaine raised him up with that one arm, carrying him into their room and flinging him onto the bed. Kurt landed on it with a bounce, the pillows scattering everywhere. He laughed as Blaine struggled with the buttons on his shirt, and then finally gave up and ripped the offensive article in half. With only his pants and shoes on, Blaine clambered onto the bed and hovered over Kurt.

He didn't yet kiss him, so Kurt shut his eyes, waiting with a smile on his face for his lips to touch him. "Hi." Blaine's whisper was cool in Kurt's ear, and Kurt laughed again, his body shaking the bed. Wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck, Kurt murmured it back to him, and widened his grin as their lips finally pressed together.

He slid his hands down his husband's hairy chest, pausing at the waist of his pants, before he dipped his fingers in. His fingers were squished between his pants and his skin, as they crept down the triangle that pointed to his hardened cock. Before he touched it, he pushed his lips against Blaine's ear, "I have something to tell you."

Blaine grinned, his nose wrinkling, as he rolled Kurt over, until they were both on their sides, "What?"

Kurt sucked in his bottom lip, "You had something on your face during the whole ceremony." He burst into giant gusts of laughter at the face that Blaine made, and then he screamed when Blaine suddenly sat up, grabbing both of his legs. He pulled him down the bed, ignoring the way that Kurt kicked at his chest, and grabbed a few stray pillows. He covered Kurt's face with them, piling one on top of the other. "Hey!" Kurt spluttered, and then winced, spitting out a piece of fuzz.

Blaine chuckled above him, continuing his work on undressing Kurt. "I like you better this way… quiet."

"You can't kiss me if I'm under here."

Kurt's mouth popped open when Blaine said, "That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

" _Blaine!_ " He screeched, exploding from under the pillows and grabbing one of them. He thwacked it across Blaine's head. "You don't mean that! You like my kisses!"

Blaine fell backwards, landing hard on his rump. Quirking a brow at Kurt, he lowered his voice, "Remind me what your kisses feel like." When Kurt didn't immediately move, he wiggled his eyebrows.

Kurt sat still, staring stupidly at him, "What are you… What was that? What's with the voice?" When the smile fell from Blaine's mouth, Kurt slapped his hands onto his cheeks. "Was that your sexy voice? You're too awkward to be sexy!" Toppling Blaine over, Kurt lay down on top of him, and pecked his lips. "I like that you're awkward. It's what made me fall in love with you." He kissed him a few more times, and then sat back up, his hands fiddling with the button on his jeans.

Blaine also raised himself up, grabbing Kurt around his waist and laying him down. Kurt instantly calmed as Blaine straddled him, stripping him of the rest of his clothes. Blaine kicked off his shoes, letting them thud to the floor, and then worked out of his pants. When he was fully naked, he lowered his body, letting Kurt feel his full length. A breathy moan parted Kurt's lips, which dried out as he looked over Blaine's muscular body. Blaine wasn't the gangly teenager he'd once been. He was thirty now, and had become a strong man, every inch of him compact and large, his stomach dented with abs, and his upper arms nearly the size of Kurt's slender thighs.

When Blaine kissed him this time, there was something different to it. Kurt let his eyes fall shut, his throat humming, as Blaine pulled out a tube of lube and squirted it into his palm. He rubbed his hands together, and then lathered his penis in the clear cream. He also dabbed it around Kurt's hole, the touch of his fingers making Kurt quiver. Seconds later, Blaine positioned himself, and, with one long slide, he sheathed himself inside of Kurt. Gasping, Kurt draped his arms over Blaine's shuddering back, his eyes popping open as Blaine thrust his hips back and forth, in a slow rhythm that had Kurt curling his toes, his fingers digging into Blaine's skin. Turning his head to the side, Kurt kissed the part of Blaine's neck that he could see, and he whispered faintly, "I love you, Blaine."

Blaine picked up his speed, his testicles slapping Kurt's bottom, and Kurt heard himself let out a high pitched noise when Blaine rammed into his most sensitive nerves. "Kurt… baby… I love, you, too. So beautiful. So damned beautiful. Hold onto me, and don't let go."

* * *

Six months later, Blaine walked up to the small orphanage, which sat almost ten miles from his home, with his son nestled against his chest like a baby koala. His husband ambled beside of them, every step bouncy and light, as if he had no cares in the world. When they reached the doorway, he pulled Gail slightly off of his chest, "Sweetheart, look at Daddy. Are you sure that this is what you want? The orphanage has approved us for adoption. Do you know what that means? We could be taking home another child today. It wouldn't be just Gail anymore. You would have a brother or sister."

Gail rearranged his features so that a pucker dented the skin between his thick, dark eyebrows. For months, Blaine had been explaining this process to his son, who nodded as if he understood, when Blaine knew that Gail wouldn't truly grasp what was happening until he was older. When Kurt stroked the back of his head, he turned it, and stared into his kind eyes. To rid himself of the first part of his title toward Gail, Kurt had adopted Gail as his own, taking on the responsibilities that came with being his parent with ease. He pressed his forehead to Gail's, "But you'll always be our sweet, little man. You're my special Gail. There isn't another one like you."

When a smile cracked onto Gail's wavering lips, Blaine finally opened the door, and heard the bell ding behind him. The woman at the desk set her paperwork aside, and gave them her nicest expression. "Good morning. Can I be of any assistance?"

"I called earlier about coming in to see a woman named Rebecca. My name is Blaine Hummel-Anderson. This is my husband, Kurt Hummel-Anderson, and our son, Gail." Blaine stepped up to the desk, which the woman scooted away from. She stood, extending her hand.

"I would be Rebecca. It's so nice to meet you in person." She shook both Blaine and Kurt's hands, before waving them over to a set of chairs and sitting them down. "I've looked over your paperwork, and it seems like you checked out on everything. If you still want to continue with the process, you would be ready to meet the children today. You told me that you were interested in…" she flipped up a sheet of paper, "an age range around seven or eight years old?"

"Right." Blaine muttered, rubbing Gail's back when he hid inside of his shirt, too nervous to meet the woman's eyes when she grinned at him. "Gail is eight. I was hoping that we could find a child around his age, who he got along with easily. He's shy, and while we're trying to help him overcome that, it's been a long process. Other children his age don't understand him. Do you have any children that might like Gail? He's very easy to get along with, if he was given the chance. He's affectionate, but he's just a little soft-spoken at first." Cuddling Gail closer to himself, Blaine turned his head down to him, and watched him peer out at the woman from the safety of his dad's chest.

The woman scooted toward the edge of her chair, her eyes softening as she held a hand out toward Gail. "Hi, Gail." Gail's eyes became huge as the woman tried to pet his hair, and he tucked himself back into his dad's chest, like a startled turtle. She chuckled softly, turning back to the hopeful couple. "I think we have just the child you're looking for. He's a little timid, too… not so much so as Gail. He knows his manners, and has never picked on the other children. He's been here for about three years. It's harder to get them adopted when they're older. You wouldn't have to worry about visitations from his parents. When his mother dropped him off, she stated that she didn't want any contact with him. We don't know anything about his father. Would you like to come back with me?"

Glancing over at Kurt, Blaine smirked when he nodded quickly. He stood up and held his hand out for his husband, as he boosted Gail up, feeling him wrap his arms and legs around his body. The woman led them through a pair of double doors, and Blaine inquired further, "How old is he?"

"He's eight, but his birthday is in just a few weeks. We've named him Alester, but we can have it changed."

Kurt squeezed his hand, "I like Alester. It's a strong name."

"Alester is a good name." Blaine agreed quietly, turning around another corner and pausing when the woman knocked on one of the wooden doors.

"Alester?" She cocked her head toward the door, trying to make out the noises within. "Do you want to have a visitor?" The door suddenly parted from the wall, and a pair of sharp, green eyes gazed out at them. The eyes, for being a part of someone so young, were surprisingly intelligent, both of them slightly squinted, as if inquisitive. "Good morning, Alester. You have a family that wants to meet you."

Blaine frowned when he realized that Alester knew what this meant. He had to have heard it before, which meant that he knew what it felt like to be rejected. The woman slipped into the room, and waved the small family inside, as a smile crept onto her face. She stood in the center of the room, waiting for Blaine to enter with his husband in tow. Blaine glanced down at the little boy, who must have been several inches taller than Gail, and was skinny, but clearly well fed. He was a handsome boy, with light tendrils that swirled around his oval, pale face. His green eyes were the most colorful things about him, both of them outlined by a pair of nearly translucent lashes, the long, blond stems beating against his cheeks.

Kurt was the first one to step closer to Alester, who was examining them just as thoroughly, his eyes critical, and his wide set mouth pursed with judgment. "Hi, Alester." He spoke softly, as if trying to lure a prickly cat over to him. "My name is Kurt. You're very handsome."

Alester tilted his head to one side, his eyes skimming over to Blaine, and then finally settling on Gail. Gail was peeking out at him, his expression neutral. Like a territorial animal, Alester sniffed once at the boy, and held his arms up. "Hello." He said clearly to Gail, who whipped his head up to his dad's face, as if searching for his encouragement. "Can you say hello?"

Blaine laughed at how candid Alester was being. He patted Gail's back, bending over to set him on the floor. "Say hello, Gail. Alester is trying to greet you."

Gail, as soon as he was on the ground, skittered away from Alester, and pressed himself between Blaine's legs. His chest was heaving up and down, as if his heart was going to beat out of it. Alester, swinging his head from side to side, laughed, "You look like a mouse, scuttling around on the floor like that!"

Gail blinked at Alester, who had looked up at Blaine, and then back down at the other boy. From how closely they resembled each other, Alester comprehended that Gail was his biological son. "You're lucky to still have your daddy. I don't remember mine."

That caught Gail's interest, and he poked his head around Blaine's legs. "You don't have a daddy? I've got two!" He hurried over to Kurt, and patted his thigh, as if showing him off. "This one is new! He loved me enough to _choose_ to be my daddy! Do you want a daddy? I'll share mine!"

Alester seemed pleased by this, even though Blaine couldn't tell for sure, because he switched the subject so quickly, "Gail, do you want to see my bubble wand? Come here! Come here!" Grabbing Gail's wrist, Alester yanked him across the room, and dug under his bed for a single toy. He held up a blue wand as if nothing in the world made him happier. "Try to make a big bubble. Dip this end in here, and blow on it. The biggest bubble I've ever made was as big as an elephant!"

Gail's mouth dropped open, "That's a _big_ bubble!"

Alester raised his eyebrows, his mouth pushing to one side of his face, "I've never seen a real elephant. But I heard this boy talking about one. He said that an elephant's foot was so big that it could squish a human."

"You've never seen an elephant?" Whipping around toward Blaine and Kurt, Gail cried, "Daddy, we have to take Alester to the zoo! He's never seen an elephant! Alester, when I was at the zoo, I got to sit on an elephant's back! He was a baby, but he was the biggest baby I've ever seen. Have you ever seen a penguin? Those are my favorite! They waddle, and sometimes they'll wiggle their tails. And they make the funniest noises."

Slapping his hand over his cackling mouth when Gail imitated the honk of a penguin, Alester mushed his lips together and blew through them, to mimic an elephant's trumpet. As Blaine watched the two of them chatter and laugh, he felt Kurt's head nuzzle against his shoulder. "I think that Gail made his first friend." He whispered, and Blaine pressed a smile into his hair.

* * *

Kurt reclined into the couch, his head tipping to the side and landing on his husband's sturdy shoulder. Exhaustedly, he stretched out his muscles, as a yawn opened his mouth wide. Blaine chuckled at him, moving his hand up so the bottle he was holding was at a higher angle, as Aruna suckled lazily at the thick, warm milk. When they adopted the tiny girl, she'd been only two months old, and had now spent four more months with them. Although she was a very pretty girl, with delicate features, and brown, feathery hair that spilled out of her head in loose curls, she had the voice of a monster, and was known to wake the entire house up with a start.

Holding his daughter against his chest, Kurt smoothed her blondish brown hair off of her small forehead, watching her eyelashes bat over her round, deep blue eyes. When her eyes opened, and she realized that he was looking at her, she attempted to smile, gurgles bubbling up in her throat. Kurt laughed softly, and hugged her to his chest, unable to be cross with her, even as he let out another yawn. "You are the noisiest creature I have ever met, but I wouldn't change a hair on your head."

When the back door suddenly slammed open, Blaine, who had started to go back to the book he was reading, raised his brows. "Are you _sure_ she's the noisiest creature?" He held up his fingers, and counted down on them. "Three… two… one."

As he pointed at the doorway, which the boys stomped through, Kurt closed his eyes, "You're dealing with this. I have the baby."

It had been two years since Blaine and Kurt had adopted Alester, and they had never regretted their decision. Upon taking him home, and letting Alester sniff through the house like a cautious dog, he had quickly become a permanent part of their family, and was very loving toward Gail. Although he was only a few months older than him, he acted like an older brother toward Gail, wisely guiding him through the decisions he had to make. Because he was so much bigger than Gail, he had become protective over him, and snapped at anyone who dared to hurt Gail. The two of them stuck together, laughing about jokes that were shared between them, and either playing in the backyard, or in their bedroom, which they still shared, despite Blaine offering to find room to separate them. It had taken a whole year to make them stop passing out on the same bed, both of them asleep within seconds of their heads hitting the pillow, after they wore each other out.

As they entered the room side by side, Blaine noticed how tall Alester had become, his head nearly reaching Blaine's shoulder. Gail was still a few inches shorter than Alester, and probably always would be, and his dark, Eurasian heritage stuck out like a harsh contrast against Alester's blond form. Blaine felt a sense of proudness as he looked at his two sons, who he knew were always going to be best friends. Alester slunk over to him, plopping himself on Blaine's lap. Blaine's nose scrunched up as a horrible odor wafted off of Alester's skin, as if he'd been sprayed by a skunk, and then had rolled in a puddle of mud. He made a disgusted face as Alester rubbed his head against Blaine's cheek, "Daddy?"

"What do you want?" Blaine asked gruffly, making Kurt giggle as he scooted Alester away from his head.

"What makes you think that I want something?" At the look that Blaine gave him, Alester rolled his eyes. "Why do you know everything? Gail and I want to dig a hole in the backyard!"

Kurt's mouth popped open, and had he not been holding the baby, he probably would have thumped them for having such an idea. "No! No holes! The grass is just growing in from the last hole that you two dug."

Gail held his hands up, "But there's buried treasure in the backyard! Pavarotti sniffed it out. He was pecking awfully hard at this one patch of grass."

Blaine placed his head in his hand, "He was probably eating some seeds."

Reaching out for the little, yellow bird, Kurt took him from Gail, and dusted a few flakes of dirt off of his wings. "Don't use Pavarotti for your schemes! I just groomed his feathers. Pavarotti doesn't like to get dirty. And what did you two do with his scarf?"

Alester crossed his arms over his chest, "We're pirates, Daddy. Pavarotti is our lookout bird! And lookout birds don't wear scarves." When Aruna grabbed at Pavarotti's tail, he flicked his eyes down to her, and scratched his fingers over the top of her fuzzy head. "Hi, baby girl. Do you like Pavarotti? Do you want him to find a pile of treasure for us?"

Gail tugged on Alester's arm, "Come on, Alester. We have to get back out there, before the bandits take over our ship!"

"Oh, no, no." Blaine held up his hand, his tone instantly stopping his sons. "There will be no more going outside tonight. It's supposed to storm. I don't want my pirates to drown. Both of you, wash up in the bathroom, and then help set the table for dinner. Even pirates have to eat. Run along." As soon as Gail started moving, Alester hopped up and attempted to jump onto his back, but made him crumple forward, instead. Blaine shook his head, taking the baby from Kurt's tired arms and bouncing her. "Those two nuisances are silly, aren't they, Aruna? I'm sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news, little one, but if those boys found any treasure, I don't think they'd share it with us."

Kurt laughed, curling his legs up beneath him as he ran his fingers through Blaine's thick hair, "But they'll never find it, because I would rather have a pretty lawn, than piles of riches." He bent and kissed the baby's forehead, smiling down at her solemn face. "I love Gail and Alester so much, but I'm glad that we decided to raise a baby together. You got to see Gail grow up… and neither of us knows anything about Alester, but Aruna's something we'll have together."

As the boys came hurtling out of the bathroom, Blaine watched them charge into the kitchen like monkeys, their legs unsteady as they tried to tackle each other. Blaine pressed his lips together, "From a man who's been there, I'm warning you to treasure these years that she can't speak or move." He raised his voice, "There's nothing worse than having ten year olds."

Instantly, Alester shouted, pretending to be directing his words at Gail, "And tonight, we'll sneak out and dig a _big_ hole in the yard. And then, because it'll be raining, we'll be all wet and muddy. When we come inside, we'll accidentally get the dirt _all_ over the house." Blaine heard Gail snicker at what Alester was suggesting.

Blaine chuckled again, but Kurt touched his chest, "Don't make them threaten my yard or house, Blaine."

Blaine called out to his sons again, "Boys, don't destroy the yard or house! Tomorrow, I'll drive you over to your uncles' condo, and you can do all of the digging you want."

Kurt gasped, swatting his arm, " _Blaine!_ They're already naughty enough. They don't need your encouragement." Squeezing one of Aruna's feet, he murmured, "You'll always be good for me, won't you? When you're older, you'll be my helper, and whip those boys into shape." Aruna, kicking her feet, babbled up at Kurt, and then stuck her fingers into her slobbery mouth. He kissed her forehead again, before he looked up at his husband, who wore a gentle expression on his face. "You always look at me like that when I have the baby. Why is that?"

Blaine shook his head, "I like watching you with her." Kurt knew that there was much more that Blaine wasn't telling him, but he was distracted by Blaine's mouth, when he kissed his lips. But Blaine jerked back when, suddenly, the boys tromped back into the room, their hands full of two black bags. "What do you have, boys?"

Gail was digging around in his bag, and then he pulled out a circular object with a wick sticking off of it. Kurt's mouth fell open, "Is that my old spy gear? Boys, put that back! You weren't supposed to find that!"

"Spy gear?" Alester shoved his hand into his bag. "What is this stuff?"

"Alester," Blaine lowered his tone, "put down the bag. That's not meant to be played with."

When the boys darted back into the kitchen with the bags, Kurt slumped his shoulders, his bottom lip sticking out into a pout, "There goes my perfectly manicured yard. The boys are going to blow a hole into it for sure."

Blaine tried to say something to comfort Kurt, but all he could do was pat him on the back, and mutter, "Honey, look on the bright side. You thought that the boys were taking everything after me. At least we know that they took something from you, too."


End file.
